


Uprooted [On Hiatus]

by E_Raleigh



Series: Rooted In The Trees [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Don't worry the other Genin will get their chance too, Hatake Kakashi Is Trying, Hatake Kakashi is a Good Teacher, Iruka doesn't want to let them go, Kakashi enjoys watching them suffer, Konoha 12 - Freeform, Maito Gai is proud in his own way, Team 7 Slight OP, Team Bonding, Team Dynamics, Where Kakashi works through his issues prior to meeting team 7, don't worry Kakashi will cheer them up, he loves his little minions, slight angst, they all have suffered in their own way
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:09:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23948932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/E_Raleigh/pseuds/E_Raleigh
Summary: In which Hatake Kakashi was pressed by the Hokage to get himself together. It has been twelve years since Minato died, twelve years in which Kakashi has had to heal. What will be the outcome of the copy-nin who no longer spends every waking moment grieving?
Series: Rooted In The Trees [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1726471
Comments: 25
Kudos: 127





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAMER: I do not own Naruto or the characters. This is purely for entertainment!

“I cannot do this, Hokage-sama,” came the quiet tenor of Hatake Kakashi. He was locked on his knees, completely unbecoming of his status as Jonin. His grey head was bowed as if in prayer, the shocking locks brushing against the grain of the floor. His shoulders trembled minutely; he was holding himself in. A harsh gasp tore into the still air as his gloved hands scrunched into the cold floor. He paused his quivering, an impressive feat for one so close to the brink of sorrow, “I cannot… Minato-sensei…”

“… would not want it any other way,” Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke in a strained voice, “And this is not a decision I want you to make hastily, Kakashi.” His eyes softened as he raked over the collapsed ninja. The once stoic features of the Jonin were now being pieced together by will alone. He cleared his voice quietly and spoke, “I am giving you three months to think about this. Naruto will be graduating from the Academy soon, and that is all the time I can give you. I am truly sorry for keeping him from you. I know you understand why it has taken me so long.”

The Hokage turned from the Jonin as he collected himself from his knees. Hiruzen pulled his pipe from his mouth and blew out a long stream of smoke, “Please, take your time in deciding. If he is to be assigned to you, you will be accepting him and his teammates. You may test them how you like, but they will be yours.” After a long silence, he crooked his neck back to the Jonin, “We all have our methods of grieving, but I believe it is time to fully move on, Kakashi.”

There came a small shuffle and a quiet huff of, “Hai, Hokage-sama,” before the Hokage finally turned around to face Kakashi. Only the wind and the leaves seemed willing to speak, leaving the Hokage to ponder his next words. 

Kakashi was a special case, having headed ANBU for several years before he had finally called it quits. His grieving techniques were a bit out of the ordinary, and for a time it seemed as if he had enjoyed the thrill of certain death. It had taken a long time, but Hiruzen knew he was improving. After all, it had been twelve years since he lost the last of his sanity. At this point it seemed there was nothing stopping him from falling apart. He was a liability. The Hokage closed his eyes, furrowing his brows as he took another long breath from his pipe.

No. That is what the Jonin had wanted people to believe. He wanted people to think of him as weak so they would not look too closely at how slowly he was healing. At fourteen years of age he had sauntered in, quietly subdued and ready for ANBU life. He had nowhere else to turn; it was a miracle he did not succumb to ROOT. He picked up the pieces of his left-over sanity, and tried to comfort himself in secret. But the Sarutobi knew, and he would bet that Kakashi knew too. Others were watching. Maito Gai was only one example as he stuck by his friend with a fierce loyalty. The Hokage opened his eyes, steeling himself for the words he was about to deliver.

“Hatake Kakashi. You are a strong blade, yes. Finely sharpened like a tanto, but quick to strike like a kunai. You have seen battle, you have seen war… and you have seen death,” he paused, surveying the shuttered lids of the copy-nin. “But you are also like another blade. A blade of grass, one among the many in a great and open field. Together, many blades of grass can conquer dirt hills, climbing their way up to cover over the ugliness… the disgust.”

Kakashi’s eyes were slowly widening as the Hokage pressed on, “However, if a blade were by itself… its life would not be long. Cut short by not having that webbing, the roots, of the other blades. Roots that are forged through sweat and blood. Roots that once had a hold of you. Roots that once screamed the Will of Fire. You have been emptied for so long. Now is your chance, Kakashi.” The God of Shinobi leaned inwards, invading the space of the deadly Jonin as he whispered is next words, “Now is your chance to make it up to them. They died for the Will of Fire, all of them. Even Obito, even Rin… even Minato.”

Kakashi’s eyes flashed wet with withheld emotion, “You have been uprooted, Kakashi. But there is always another patch for you to lay in. This boy will need you; his teammates will need you. This village has gone on for so long without you. Come back, Kakashi. This is Konoha, a village that is rooted together. You will find your place in it again.” The Hokage leaned back, letting his hat fall into his eyes as he reached down into one of his pockets.

“You are not alone, and it has been too long. I believe in you, Kakashi,” the Sarutobi’s voice graveled out, thick with emotion for the lost ninja, “You have been on a lonesome road, and now is as good a time as any. You have improved, and I know you are up for the task. I am sure that Gai will be willing to help you, as is any other member of this village. You are to stop taking missions for these three months and focus on yourself.” A small jingle rang through the room as the Sarutobi lifted two bells from his pocket and outstretched them to the Jonin.

The silence was painful. Only the leaves could be heard, small whistles of soft rustling. Slowly, Kakashi raised is palms until they were underneath the bells. The Hokage lowered them down and softly released the chimes as Kakashi’s hand curled around them.

“This is not a punishment. There is potential, I know. You have learned a great deal as a shinobi, and if you choose to take on Naruto and his teammates as disciples, you will have your hands full. He is full of love and energy, Kakashi. When he graduates in six months you need to be ready. I think it will do you a world of good,” spoke the Sarutobi.

There was a choked sound before Kakashi swallowed, “Hai, Hokage-sama… Thank you.” The copy-nin pocketed the bells and bowed his head, “Thank you.”

The Hokage blew on his pipe once more, “There is no need. You have been improving. It has taken a long time, but you are not the same man as you were twelve years ago. Go. Go find another purpose besides staring at the memorial and taking on missions. It is our bonds that can bring about weakness, but it is also our bonds that give us our strength.”

When the Sarutobi glanced back into the Jonin’s eyes, he could see the resolve forming. He could see the young boy back when Sakumo was still alive. He could see the young teen whose teacher was there to help him fight off the horrors of memories. He could see the face of a young man, strong in ways many were not. He saw Hatake Kakashi, Jonin of Konohagakure. He saw an uprooted man sowing his seeds back into the ground. He saw the Will of Fire burning at the edges of his eyes.

It was with a sad smile that the Hokage said, “You are dismissed, Kakashi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: There may be some confusion so I will post this here. I found it extremely hard to believe that Kakashi, the man known to read porn openly in public as a grieving method, would take being assigned to Naruto lightly. He mourns Obito and Rin daily, standing hours upon hours in front of the memorial. I will go into more depth about his thinking in the first chapter. Thank you so much for reading, and if you have any feedback please feel free to comment!


	2. Leaves Change Color

The rain fit his mood. The dark and crying sky a symbol of his inner turmoil. He had a choice to make today, one he had been spending the last three months considering. It had been a long time since he had stood here, three weeks to be exact. 

“Minato-sensei. Obito. Rin,” Kakashi’s quiet voice rang out, barely heard between the patter of the raindrops as they slapped the ground. It had been a long and trying time, and he certainly had not enjoyed it. He had been on no missions. He had only had his mind, the village, and the power of youth to accompany his thoughts. Gai had seen him physically exhausted, to the point at which he had not felt in many years. Asuma was there to distract him when Gai was not available. And, to the surprise of Kakashi, those at the rusty bar he had visited in desperation one night had listened to him. They had listened and critiqued his tales. They had helped him come to terms with his fear.

He was afraid. Yes, he will admit it. He was afraid of losing the only thing tying him to his youth. It was painful, looking at the bright hair and blue eyes on Naruto.

He turned his gaze up as he raised his face to the weeping sky, “Every time I see him, I think of you, sensei.”

He could not help it, try as he might. He just kept seeing his sensei. Dead. He kept thinking about those bright, golden locks stained with death. His cerulean eyes that were glazed over and cold.

He shook his head. Naruto is not Minato-sensei. He knew this, and yet he was being selfish. He was selfish for thinking of himself instead of what his sensei would have wanted. Naruto was a kid, eager to learn and unjustly satisfied with his future as a ninja. He would be eaten up, cast aside, and broken down many times over from the enemies he will have to face. He needs a teacher, a strong one. He needs a teacher that can be there for him.

“I’m conflicted, sensei,” came Kakashi’s words, overflowing with the thoughts he had left to voice, “I don’t know if I can be there for him, for his teammates.” The thoughts were quickly thrown inwards as an image of Obito forced its way into his mind. It was too late for Obito, but on that day he had vowed to protect his comrades over the mission. 

He lowered his head and peered at the names written on the memorial, his thumb tracing over the thousands who had fallen. He had vowed to protect his comrades, yet he had let Rin die, through his own hands too. It was a weakness that had led him to kill his only remaining teammate.

“It is our bonds that can bring about weakness, but it is also our bonds that give us our strength,” the copy-nin spoke aloud, dragging his attention to the words the Hokage had spoken. He could have another chance, one in which he cannot screw up. He could become the instructor to an unruly blond. After all, he needed someone who knew what ninja life was really like.

Naruto needed someone who would be punctual, nothing like Kakashi. He needed someone to be emotionally available when he made his first kill. He needed someone whom he could rely on to protect him when his training failed in the field. No, Kakashi was nothing compared to what Naruto needed. But maybe…

Kakashi’s hand lingered over his sensei’s name, “Could I do it? Protect him from the scum that walk this Earth?” His mind whirled. There were so many other options. Naruto could be placed with Jiraiya, but at his current skill level he would only bring the Sannin down with him. The boy had absolutely no ability of being quiet. Of course, Naruto could also not become a ninja at all. That would be a disservice to the Fourth Hokage, however. Maybe…

He shook his head once more. No, if he were to be Naruto’s teacher there could be no maybes. There could be no doubts or guesses. He would have to step up his training and glean back the sharpness that had been dulled since leaving ANBU. Kakashi would have to vow on his dead teammates and sensei. Being six feet under was something Kakashi could not handle of Naruto. He would have to be careful, gentle even, in how he treats Naruto.

“He has seen so much pain and loneliness already, sensei,” when Kakashi spoke there was a small tremor in his words. It was obviously filled to the brim with undying emotions the copy-nin had never quite let go of. If he became a sensei, he would have to vow to protect all of his team. No one should have to deal with the poison of a dead teammate. No, he could not be gentle with Naruto. He would have to be a hard sensei, pushing his team to their limits to constantly impress upon them the dangers of ninja life. 

When Kakashi spoke again, his words were hardened, “If I become his sensei, I would have to change.” Would he be willing? Yes, no doubt about that. Could he do it? Well… he would have to try. He was harshly reminded three months ago that he was not the only one to experience this pain. Others may not have experienced it so young, or in such a harsh way, but their pain was still just as raw as his. 

If he were a sensei, there would be no going back. He would protect his team so they could protect each other. He would write teamwork onto their skin and carve the Will of Fire into their bones. Those who abandon their friends are worse than scum, yes, but they also are more likely to die from their perceived mount of superiority. Selfishness and ego kills.

“Maa, I’m such a hypocrite, ne Obito?” Kakashi spoke, curving his right eye into a false smile. He would have to fix that then.  
He lowered his hand has he bowed his head towards the memorial, “I guess you can call me Kakashi-sensei now. Minato-san, Kushina-san… I will make you proud.” He raised his eyes to the slowly lightening sky. The downpour of water was sluggishly letting up, as if his decision had pleased the Gods. 

“I suppose it’s fitting, Obito… Rin,” he spoke over his shoulder as his body turned towards the village, “This will be goodbye for a while. I will make you all proud. It’s about time I stepped up on the stool you have placed before my feet.” 

He turned his head around and started walking towards the beaten and muddy path. As he shoved his hands in his pockets, he murmured a quiet thank you, feeling as if he had been underwater for the longest time and only now could his starving lungs gulp at the crisp air.

Kakashi breathed in sharply through his nose, brushing his fingertips along the small bells that had made their home in his pocket. He made a spur of the moment decision; one he could never recall making before. Instead of turning to the right to avoid the main road of town, Kakashi turned to the left and towards the center of the village. Although it was the crack of dawn, he felt anxious to appear in the town without his beloved book stuck to his nose.

But he had vowed to everyone to make this right. How can he protect his team if he cannot face the village in which he was sworn to protect? So, he bravely put one foot in front of the other and calmly walked his way through the forest and headed towards the town.

The rain had slowed to a drizzle and the sun had crested the trees by the time Kakashi made it to his destination. He had seen very few faces, only those of hard-working civilians up bright and early to stock their shelves and clean. Kakashi had crinkled his eye every time one of them looked up from their task to glance at him. It was in one of these moments that he found a man he had smiled at go pale. It was only when Kakashi saw his eyes to be focused slightly to the right of his shoulder that he realized the man was not looking at the copy-nin.

As he lackadaisically turned around, Kakashi knew exactly why the man had paled. It was a beautiful sight to behold, really. The Green Beast of Konoha was currently face down and feet up, walking on his palms as though this were nothing out of the ordinary, thank you very much. His manly arms were quivering, his sweat tangling in his bowl cut.

“YOSH! MY ETERNAL RIVAL!” came the sharp bellow of the strikingly green man, “I have completed my punishment from the shogi challenge! Now, Kakashi… would you care for a race? There is nothing like a morning run to help us express our youthful vigor to those around us!”

Kakashi instantly raised his hands in a placating gesture, “Maa, maa. I actually have somewhere I need to be.” He curled his eye again, though this time was much more genuine. 

Gai’s face instantly brightened. He flipped from his handstand and twirled three times before striking a pose in front of Kakashi, “YOSH! You are burning with youth!” The man raised from his crouch and stood beside Kakashi, brushing his shoulder in a mild way of showing pride, “I shall accompany my rival to his destination!” After a small pause for Kakashi to collect his surprise, Gai added in a quieter voice, “After all, if you are to be on time then I shall support you.”

Kakashi could only say, “Thank you.”

The two moved through the town, drawing angry attention as they noisily made their way through the streets. Gai kept bringing up his youthful students and was trying to impress upon Kakashi how important proper attire was when training. By the time the pair made it to the Hokage’s Tower, Kakashi was fairly certain fifty percent of the village had been awoken by Gai’s youthful tales.

He fondly hooded his eye as Gai sprung back into his handstand and saluted Kakashi with quiet words, “You are in the springtime of your youth, rival.”

“Maa, let’s go on that race later then,” he said slowly, taking in the beams of light that seemed to come from Gai’s huge smile.

He bellowed, “THAT’S THE SPIRIT, KAKASHI!”

There was a shout of indignation from a shop owner nearby, and an angry screech from a women with a broom, waving it threateningly in Gai’s direction. Kakashi chuckled as the Green Beast scurried away on his hands, leaving a small silence in his wake.

The Jonin slouched his back and fished a book from his pocket. He sighed softly as he flipped the book open, “Now’s my time, Obito.” He breathed in deeply, walking up the stairs to the tower.

There was a slight buzz of chatter in the Hokage’s small office. Umino Iruka was currently busying himself with papers, redness creeping on his face and neck due to stress. Yuhi Kurenai and Sarutobi Asuma were standing a bit too close to be considered casual colleague distance, and they instantly recoiled as Yamashiro Aoba and Mitarashi Anko snickered in their direction. The Hokage was enjoying a final breath from his pipe as Inuzuka Gaku bent over to pick up the scattered papers on the ground, courtesy of a very flustered Iruka.

“S’alright Iruka-san. We know you’ve put a lot of effort in these team assignments,” came the gruff voice of Gaku. Iruka gave a grateful smile and helped the Jonin pick up the dropped papers.

The Hokage cleared his throat and set aside his pipe. He leaned back in his chair, glancing up at the Jonin who hushed and fell in line. He was about to open his mouth and congratulate them when the door to his office slowly creaked open.

“Yo,” the calm voice of Kakashi spoke, ringing through the shocked room. All the heads in the office swiveled towards Kakashi. He sauntered in, seemingly oblivious to the bug eyed Jonin. He stopped in the middle of the room and pocketed his Icha Icha book, crinkling his eye towards the Sandaime.

When Asuma opened his mouth to speak, the Hokage hurriedly beat him to it, “Just in time, Kakashi.” At the quizzical stare Asuma gave, the Hokage decided to continue his speech, “Now that you are all here, we may begin. Congratulations! You all have shown to be exemplary models for Konohagakure, and have been chosen to potentially lead a group of genin from Umino Iruka’s class. If you would like to decline this position, please speak now.”

When none of the Jonin responded, the Hokage continued, “Very well. Please read the list of names, Iruka.”

The Chunin nervously cleared his throat and projected, “Team Two: Yamashiro Aoba with the graduates Kobayashi Ichika, Nakamura Fumi, and Tanaka Tadeo.” At the affirming nod Aoba gave, Iruka carried on. The time seemed to move slower and slower as each team was called out, Kakashi was hanging on Iruka’s words until he finally reached Team Seven.

It was with a clear mind that Kakashi heard, “Team Seven: Hatake Kakashi with the graduates Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, and Haruno Sakura.” He murmured his affirmation as his mind began to cling to his new team.

Uchiha, he supposed that was fitting. He had the sharingan and could teach him how to properly use it. Uzumaki, he already knew Naruto would be on his team. It was somehow gratifying when he heard it though. And Haruno, not a shinobi name. She must be civilian born; he would have to push her hard so she could keep up with the boys. It was all the more reason to protect this team.

When Kakashi tuned back into the conversation Iruka was already on the last team, “…Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akamichi Choji.”

When Iruka finished speaking the Hokage stood up. He walked around his desk until he was directly in front of the Jonin, “These prospective graduates have three months until they are finished with the academy. I would like all of you to keep an eye on your teams. If you believe them to be under skilled, or you find yourself unable to hold this position, do not hesitate to contact me. This is a serious opportunity and I would like you all to think about this thoroughly.”

The Sarutobi gave a pointed look at Kakashi and then proceeded to grin broadly, “Congratulations to you all! This is a great steppingstone for your careers.”

At the obvious dismissal, the Jonin began to unwind and converse amongst themselves again. Iruka visibly relaxed and proceeded to adamantly whisper with the Sandaime.

Kakashi stayed where he was, staring at the Hokage until the man stared back. Finally, after a tense second of hesitation, the Hokage nodded his head. Sharp relief flooded Kakashi’s body. He had been accepted by the Hokage; he had proven himself. He had grown these past months, and it was sweetly relieving that the Sandaime had noticed as well.

The copy-nin gave a brief smile towards his Hokage before he turned on a dime and swirled away in a flurry of leaves. After all, he needed to keep an eye on his soon-to-be team.

* * *

The harsh midday sun was beating down on the muddy puddles, evaporating away as the children splashed in them. Girls were screaming their undying fury at the boys who splattered them with the warm and brown water.

Kakashi rolled his eyes at a young Yamanaka, her platinum hair suddenly finding itself a new color.

“Argh, Tadeo! Now Sasuke-kun won’t think I’m pretty anymore!” she shrieked, drawing the attention of nearby students.

Kakashi’s new too thin pupil, Haruno Sakura, decided to speak up, “Eh, Ino-pig? Why would Sasuke-kun want to be seen with someone like you?”

So, she is eager for acknowledgement. Ready to strike and show herself to be of a superior cloth. Maybe it was drawn from her background, everyone around her was a clan kid, so no wonder she had wanted to prove herself.

The young Yamanaka replied, “Shut it Sakura! As if Sasuke-kun could even notice you over your big forehead!”

He noticed Sakura tensed up before she turned tomato red and shouted at Ino some more. That means she is insecure. She is hiding herself behind a façade.

Naruto then decided to put in his two cents about Sakura’s pretty face, only to be replied by a chorus of, “Naruto-baka!” Interesting. She had some strength behind her flimsy arms at least, judging by the way Naruto cradled his head.

Kakashi turned his attention to the blond. It was hard not to see his former sensei in his physique, but the copy-nin took notice of the glaring differences. His skin was darker, much like Kushina’s, and he bumbled about in a way that was so unlike his sensei. No, Naruto was definitely not the Fourth Hokage. He was a small, rambunctious pipsqueak who did not know when enough was enough.

“Eh!? Just you wait Sakura-chan; I’ll prove it to you! One day, when I’m Hokage, you’ll notice me!” he piped up, hollering loudly across the academy field.

Naruto is just as crazy for attention as Sakura it seems; he is just a little different in his methods. The Jonin also noticed how the other students handled his outburst, as if it were often said. Some laughed, but most just ignored him. In fact, almost every student was giving him a wide berth. Only Akamichi Choji and Nara Shikamaru seemed to tolerate standing nearby him. And that was probably due to their upbringings; one was too caring and the other too lazy.

The pink haired girl scoffed, “As if, Naruto-baka. Sasuke-kun is the only one that can hold my love!” She then proceeded to glare at Ino, challenging the girl to rebuke.

Naruto swirled around, finding the man at question and stalked over towards him. There was no grace in his movement, only heavy feet and a large pulse of chakra.

Sasuke opened his eyes when he felt Naruto’s chakra, instantly hardening them. He was surrounded by no one. He was simply sitting in the damp grass, meditating the social hour away. Kakashi was instantly reminded of himself, and he regretted it. So, the Last Uchiha is withdrawn.

“Go away, dobe. You’re interrupting my training, not that I expect you to know what that is,” came Sasuke’s cold voice.

Okay, so withdrawn was an understatement. He was cold-shouldering anyone who got near him, particularly the loud blond.

“I do too know what training is, teme!” Naruto spluttered, sticking his tongue out childishly. The two boys held fast into a battle of glares, each second getting icier than the last.

The tension was broken, however, when Touji Mizuki approached the group of children with a large black box. Everyone stopped what they were doing and slowly migrated towards the Chunin.

There is no teamwork between Kakashi’s three new students. It would take a miracle for him to worm each other into the others hearts.

Kakashi almost gave out a sigh. But when he saw Sakura’s eyes harden in determination, he thought he saw a flash of hope. When he noticed Naruto pick himself up from his kunai failures, he thought he could glimpse unrelenting resolve. And when he glanced at Sasuke as he strove to bring himself towards perfecting his skills, not for attention but for his own goals, he knew he could set their ways. He knew he could do this.

And so, he relaxed against the strong oak tree, digging his hand in his pockets to reach his trusty old book. He was content with watching his newly declared minions as his fingers brushed against the cold steel of bells.

“Minato-sensei. I’m beginning to sense it took a lot of patience to deal with Obito, Rin, and I,” came his quiet voice.

He breathed out slowly, enjoying the moment of witnessing their youth before life and death was thrusted upon them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here’s chapter one! I hope you enjoyed Kakashi and his inner turmoil! This chapter was more suited to character building so you can become familiar in how different this Kakashi will act. If you have any questions or criticism please feel free to leave a comment!


	3. Sowing the Seeds

Kakashi swayed lazily through the hall, scuffing his feet on the polished wood. He paused before the open break room door. The space was brightly decorated, a small table of food set aside for the Jonin who had already arrived.

“Hatake-san? So, that’s Team Seven accounted for,” came the smooth voice of Iruka, “It’s about time for orientation. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go assist the students.” He was carrying a clipboard, marking furiously on the sheets that were pressed to it.

Kakashi crinkled his eye, stepping through the threshold of the door to allow room for the scarred Chunin. He headed slowly over to the other Jonin, noting only four of the original six were attending. Inuzuka Gaku was currently picking apart grapes the color of his facial markings, and Asuma was slowly scooting his way towards Kurenai.

“It’s a good thing ya came, Kakashi-san!” the husky voice of Gaku rang out, “I was worried it’d only be me and the couple here.” He winked obnoxiously at Kurenai and Asuma, stifling a laugh when they flew apart from each other.

Kakashi raised his eyebrow, “Maa, not my fault if Anko realized she’d be bested by a couple of academy students.” Gaku proceeded to choke on his grape as Asuma chuckled loudly. Kakashi sauntered over to the Sarutobi, nodding his head at Kurenai.

She proceeded to speak, a small frown on her lips, “I wouldn’t think too much of it, Kakashi. I’m still apprehensive about this as well.”

Asuma turned towards her, “You’ll be fine! I thought you said they seemed to work cohesively already.”

“Well yes…” she said, deepening her frown.

Gaku approached the group, “If it’s Kiba you’re worrying about, don’t sweat it. We Inuzuka stick with our pack!” His grin could have been seen as feral. It was the softness in his eyes that made Kurenai relax.

“It’s not that, Gaku. But thank you for the support,” she bowed her head slightly, showing gratitude. When she picked her head up again the grimace was back in place, “I just can’t help but think that I may not be good enough.” She spoke quietly, as if afraid her words had been taboo.

Kakashi tilted his head, swaying back to sit on an old and matted couch. Her words resonated deep within him. She was feeling the same anxiety he was.

He spoke softly, “Hm. Isn’t that the sign of a good teacher?”

He curved his eye again, shoving his hands in his pocket to reach the bells he kept stashed there. Yes, Kurenai was feeling the same pain he was. She was asking herself the same questions. He hoped above all, that the dubiousness would allow him to make the correct decisions. He could not afford any mistakes. None. Not with Team Seven.

Kurenai’s eyes widened. She gave a big smile and nodded her head twice in affirmation, “Thank you, Kakashi.”

He did not respond. Instead, he pulled his book from his pouch and buried his face in it. Asuma groaned at his antics.

The other Jonin happily chatted away the time. Kakashi had just gotten to the climax of the plot, Asuma and Kurenai had gravitated to three centimeters apart, and the small mound of grapes had disappeared by the time the Chunin returned.

He passed through the open doorway, clearing his throat nervously, “Alright. The graduates without a sensei have been moved to the reserve division, so everything should be in order.” He gave a tight smile, obviously displeased that his students had been forced into the reserves.

Kakashi knew he would be disappointed to. They were rarely used on missions as they mainly served as cannon fodder in war. If any of his pupils had been placed in the reserves, there would be hell to pay.

He blinked his eye, shaking himself from his internal reverie as the Chunin spoke up again, “I know Hokage-sama has expressed this, but I have to repeat it.” He cleared his throat once more, “You have two days before finally settling on the fate of your team. Only nine graduates from each year may move forward to become Genin. If you think your team is not yet ready, they will be placed back into the academy for the review year. Please be kind but thorough.”

He rushed through his dialogue, seemingly rehearsed. When none of the Jonin responded, he quietly said, “Great, if you would come right this way.”

And so, they all set off towards their soon-to-be students. It was extremely quiet. The only sounds were made by their feet. Kakashi could not help but think of his team’s reaction to him.

Would he be silly? Stern, perhaps? On and on, the Jonin rolled through the different ideas that had plagued him since he heard the names of his minions. What would be the best way to get their attention?

He had just decided on the finest course of action when there was a sudden, and very Yamanaka, screech, “Naruto you idiot! Sasuke-kun was saving himself for me!”

Iruka briskly walked ahead of the group, opening the door quickly. When Kakashi strolled in he saw Naruto and Sasuke dry heaving in their seats. Both the Yamanaka and Haruno were lined up beside Naruto, promising death in their eyes. Sakura looked particularly menacing, cracking her knuckles at a vicious speed.

He was almost proud of her. The pink haired kunoichi had shown little to no aptitude when it came to a fight, except when her anger was directed at a certain blond of course. He just had to think of a way to get her to put that energy into her regular spars.

Iruka’s words cut through his scheming, “Settle down everyone!”

The room instantly hushed. The twelve adolescents all came forward and sat down near the front of the class. Even the Nara moved from his previous spot, granted his Akimichi friend had to nudge him.

“Now that I’ve got your attention,” Iruka spoke, deliberately slowing his words down so he could keep his voice calm, “Here are your Jonin sensei’s.” Despite his attempts, it was obvious that Iruka held his students with high regards. His voice rang clear with both sadness and pride. For a time, there was silence; the graduates were taking in the sight of their new teachers. It was peaceful even, until the moment was ruined.

“Psh, they don’t look too tough. I bet I could wipe the floor with them, believe it!” came Naruto’s obnoxious voice. Was it always that loud?

Iruka quickly interjected, “NARUTO! Be polite!” When the blond did nothing but cross his arms, Iruka huffed and continued on.

“As I was saying,” he paused, giving a stern look towards the orange knucklehead, “These are your new teachers. When I call your name, please follow your assigned sensei, they will have further instructions for you.”

Iruka started to call out the teams, “Team Eight: Yuhi Kurenai with the graduates Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, and Hyuga Hinata.”

Team Eight must be the tracking team of this year. Three clan heads, all known for enhanced senses. The Inuzuka was very energetic, his puppy seemed to barely hold on to his head. The Aburame was, of course, keeping to himself. Despite his reserve, he did not seem disappointed in who his teammates were. The Hyuga girl was cripplingly shy, pushing her index fingers together. She kept glancing at Naruto. Interesting.

If Kurenai persevered they would be strong. No doubt about that. Kakashi watched as the team disappeared beyond the door.

Iruka kept on, “Team Four: Inuzuka Gaku with the graduates Itou Yui, Haneda Reija, and Iburi Giichi.”

Two of the three students clambered out of their seats, eager to please their new sensei. The girl on the team, Yuhi, moaned and groaned about not being with her Sasuke-kun. This team seemed like a mix and match. The Iburi clan was known for their secrecy; the boy would have lent himself to be on the tracking team. Haneda was not a clan name, so Reija must have been from civilian background. Unlike Sakura, however, he did not have an ounce of malice in his body.

They would be a wreck. A crashing and burning wreck. The one that you cannot help but to look at. Gaku had his hands full.

“Team Ten: Sarutobi Asuma with the graduates Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Choji,” spoke Iruka, earning himself a groan from Ino and a cheer from Sakura.

Ah, the infamous Ino-Shika-Cho. If they could live up to their fathers, they would be a force to be reckoned with. The intel squad was obviously assigned to Team Ten. The Akimichi would approach his opponent, leading the Nara to pin him down. Once the enemy was taken out, the Yamanaka would come in and sweep their mind. They could be great, if Asuma got them to be motivated.

Kakashi watched as Ino and Sakura bickered. It seemed the blond was severely put out. Her rival had, after all, been placed on a team with Sasuke.

Iruka cleared his throat and the new team stepped out of the room. He pressed on, “And finally, Team Seven: Hatake Kakashi with the graduates Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, and Haruno Sakura.”

Kakashi immediately faced the door, slouching lazily towards it. His cute little ducklings followed behind him. He did not talk. No, he just stayed silent, creeping his way up the stairs and towards the roof.

The afternoon sun blinded the Genin as they opened the roof door. Kakashi paused, turning around to finally face his students. He still said nothing, simply content with watching their reactions.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, surveying his surroundings. Sakura looked nervous, snatching glances at the raven-haired boy. And Naruto, well… Naruto was currently scrunching his face, obviously trying, and failing, to imitate the Uchiha. Still, he said nothing.

He only spoke when Sakura’s brows furrowed in confusion. Only when Sasuke ticked his jaw in irritation. Only when Naruto looked about ready to bust from all the silence. Only then did he speak.

“Now that I’ve got your attention…” he uttered ominously, curling his eye in a false smile, “… meet me at training ground six!” He finished with a cheery voice, twirling on a dime with a flutter of leaves.

Naruto spluttered his outrage.

The copy-nin held fast to a tree, watching his team with humor in his eyes. Sasuke immediately whirled around and headed back to the stairs, both teammates running after.

By the time all three made it to the small clearing of training ground six, two hours had elapsed. It was a great opportunity to see how they interacted as a team. He would definitely need to work on their stamina, or at least Sakura’s. She was splashing herself clean in the small creek that ran by the clearing, doubled over and panting. 

“Of course-” she wheezed, “-our sensei had to pick a field so far from the Academy.”

Naruto piped up, “C’mon, Sakura-chan. It didn’t take that long! Only like… a couple ‘a hours.” He was already bouncing, ready to get to work after his warmup. Kakashi supposed it was the Kyuubi to blame for his exuberance.

Sakura deadpanned, letting the sticks in her hair talk for her. She curled her lip in disgust, picking at a limp piece of hair that wasn’t covered in grime. She sighed heavily, trying her best to wash away the dirt before Sasuke noticed.

The quiet boy spoke, only slightly out of breath, “Tch. I could have been here sooner if you didn’t slow me down, dead last.”

Naruto angrily slashed his hands out, grumbling his annoyances at the boy. Kakashi decided it was then that he should let himself be known to the Genin. He noisily pressed his feet into the leaves on the ground, slouching his way into the small clearing. The Genin quickly stopped their activities and stared comically at the approaching sensei.

He slowed in front of them, “Now we’ve had our lovely run, let’s introduce ourselves, ne?” The Jonin looked at each child individually before clearing his throat, “My name is Hatake Kakashi. I like doing lots of stuff, and I don’t like lots of things. I have a couple plans for the future. And… that’s all!”

Naruto twitched his eye, “That wasn’t even a proper introduction!”

“Maa, maa. Then show me how its done!” he replied cheerily.

“I’m Uzumaki Naruto!” the orange Genin roared, “I like cup ramen, and Ichiraku Ramen, and Iruka-sensei… oh and Sakura-chan too! I don’t like the three minutes you have to wait for the cup ramen though. I also don’t like reading and I definitely don’t like Sasuke-teme.”

The boy paused for dramatic effect, “And I’m gonna be Hokage! Believe it!”

Very shallow then. Only focusing on his goal for attention. Hm, if Kakashi could set his determination towards training he would be very strong. He nodded his head, looking at Sakura next.

“Umm...” she squeaked, “I like… I mean the person I like…” She broke off when Kakashi narrowed his eye at her.

“I like Sasuke-kun and my parents. And the feeling you get when you get something right,” she spoke quickly, visibly relaxing when the copy-nin curled his eye, “I don’t like Naruto-baka because he doesn’t pay attention. And I’m going to be a strong kunoichi!”

So, obsessive over her one-sided crush, and only speaking what she thinks he wanted to hear. Of course, she could be wanting to be a strong ninja, but it seemed like she just wanted to do whatever Sasuke did. He could work with that, eventually turning her devotion into training instead of a boy. Kakashi nodded his head again, turning once more to face Sasuke.

“Tch,” Sasuke tsked again, “I don’t like anyone, particularly annoying girls. I like training and getting stronger. My goal is not a dream, it will happen. And I vow to kill a certain man.”

Sasuke wanted to be an avenger, how fitting. Right now, the boy was the strongest of the Genin, but how long would it be until he was bested. Kakashi would have to fix his motives before that happened; he was a flight risk waiting to happen.

Sakura looked hurt at his proclamation, but her confusion outweighed in the end, “What do you mean, Sasuke-kun?”

The copy-nin quickly interrupted, “Yes. That’s enough for me.” He nodded his head three times, putting on a show for the Genin. He spoke again with mock seriousness, “You have passed my preliminary test. Tomorrow we shall see if you are capable of becoming my actual students!”

The pink haired girl turned her attention towards Kakashi, “What do you mean, sensei? Didn’t we pass the Academy test already?”

“Yes. You passed the academy test. Now you have to take the Genin test, one in which I choose if you fail or not,” he nodded again, “Maa, maa, you didn’t think everyone who passed the easy academy test would become ninja, did you? Meet me back here at six a.m. tomorrow.”

He shoved his hands in his pocket, twirling the bells he found. It took a second for the information to process, but when it did… boy was it sweet.

“WHAT!?”

* * *

Inuzuka Gaku was pacing in front of the Hokage’s desk, lip curled with unease.

“They don’t seem ta’ be wanting to work together, Hokage-sama. I can’t see them passing my exam,” he paused and hung his head, “They should go back to the Academy for review.”

The old man pulled on his pipe, breathing out a long stream of smoke. It was obviously hurting the Jonin to admit that; Inuzukas like to stick with their packs after all. He did not press the issue. He only nodded his head and marked on his paper.

Gaku stepped back as the Hokage’s eyes swung to the next in line, Kakashi. The Jonin was doing remarkably well. The past six months must have really changed him.

The Hokage gazed fondly when the Jonin stepped forward, “They are doing as expected, Hokage-sama. I believe them to be ready for my exam tomorrow.”

Those in the room failed to stifle their gasps. Kakashi, the cold-hearted bastard, taking on a group of kids? It was well known that he seemed to fail every team that came his way.

The Sandaime smiled, nodding his head at the copy-nin. Yes, he used to be known as stone cold. But the Sarutobi knew, he could see underneath the underneath. Kakashi had grown tremendously these past months. He actually interacted with his peers, joking and goofing around like the rest of them. He had begun showing up on time, ending his tribute to the late Uchiha Obito.

“Very well, Kakashi!” he spoke, barely keeping the pride from his tone, “They will do remarkably well under you.”

Yes, remarkably indeed. Team seven was known for its glory. The new Sannin could be formed through Kakashi, he just had to step up and be there for them.

The Hokage nodded again, marking his sheet of paper appropriately. When Asuma and Kurenai both spoke the same praise, he couldn’t help but grin. These Genin were the future. They are the ones the last generations had been sowing the seeds for. With proper nourishment they would grow to be powerful and sweeping trees.

The Sarutobi puffed on his pipe again. Yes, the Will of Fire was surely burning bright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here’s chapter two! So far, it’s following close to canon, I don’t want to change the characters too quickly! But don’t worry, Kakashi’s new teaching style will come in handy in the next installment! ;) If you have any feedback, please review! Thank you for reading!


	4. Sprouts

The stars were twinkling out the last of their light. A soft blanket of darkness laid across the small field of training ground six. A small girl was nervously looking towards the dense woods that served as the border of her little clearing. The soft hooting of birds was broken only by the huffing of the pink kunoichi.

Sakura was the first one to arrive, slowly catching her breath to wait for her teammates. A tiny brown bird flew off in the distance, the flutter of wings scaring her. Her body tensed as she looked around, seeing faces in the trees. The soft noise of the creek did nothing to relax her. She whirled when she heard the crunch of leaves.

“Who- who’s there?” she squeaked, surprised at the weakness of her voice.

A figure walked into the clearing, not bothering to respond to Sakura. She visibly calmed when she saw who the figure was, the pristine white pants and Uchiha crest giving him away.

“Oh, it’s you Sasuke-kun,” she sighed, relaxing more as the boy approached. He only grunted his response, moving closer until he stood beside her. He fell into an academy stance and forcefully punched his way through the forms.

Sakura said nothing, simply admiring the boy as he worked through the standard katas. Eventually, he started working up a sweat. Sakura almost drooled at the mouth when she watched his muscles quiver. When he finished the seven basic katas, he switched to a form that Sakura was not familiar with. It had higher kicks, stronger punches, and many feints. It suited the dark-haired boy well, much better than the traditional academy katas did. 

She tilted her head, quizzically asking, “What form is that Sasuke-kun? I don’t remember seeing you- I mean- that kata at the academy.”

“Tch,” he grunted out between stances, “I didn’t get it from the academy.”

If the academy did not teach him, then who would? She furrowed her brows in confusion, “Then where did you…” She cut herself off. Of course, his family.

She did not speak, fearing his reaction if she brought up his dead relatives. It was a very touchy subject to the boy, and rightfully so. She pouted her lip, worrying it between her teeth. Sasuke has had such a hard life. Sakura would have to work hard to make him notice her. If there was anything the boy valued, it would be strength. Sasuke had to have a lot of strength to keep going after what happened with his family.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a blur of orange, “Hey Sakura-chan! You guys working on katas?” The boisterous voice of Naruto boomed across the clearing, echoing off the trees that were slowly lightening.

“I’m surprised you even know what that word means, dobe,” came Sasuke’s smooth reply. The orange clad ninja came to a stop, pushing his hands on his head and cocking his hip.

He gasped, “I do too know what it means! Watch,” he paused, getting into a very unbalanced stance, “I’ll show you how much better I am than you!”

Sakura giggled. Naruto was such an idiot; he could not even do basic katas right. She opened her mouth and hotly replied, “Naruto-baka, your stance is all wrong! Sasuke-kun is doing so much better than you!” She smirked, obviously Sasuke was doing better. He was the best at the academy after all.

“But… Mizuki-sensei taught me-” he snapped his mouth closed, suddenly looking sour.

Mizuki had gotten in trouble in the village, Sakura knew it had something to do with Naruto. Maybe it was because he was teaching him wrong.

She frowned. Why would Mizuki want to give Naruto wrong information? She knew Naruto was always getting in trouble with the sensei, but she just assumed it was because he was acting out.

Sakura sighed, “Well, that stance is all wrong, Naruto. Your feet should be shoulder width apart, and you don’t even have your hands guarding your face!” She heard Sasuke snort, beaming at the fact that she made him laugh.

“Heh,” Naruto chuckled shyly, “… like this?”

The pink haired girl shook her head and bent into the basic fighting stance. She showed Naruto the first kata they learned in the academy. She quickly realized Naruto had slight errors in all his stances, ones that were ingrained into them. It was as if he practiced over and over, but he had practiced the wrong moves. Sakura frowned again as she corrected his stances.

Naruto was not the worst student; he quickly learned the adjustments. This just seemed to confuse the kunoichi further. She believed Naruto to be lackluster in everything he did, except for his goal to be Hokage. He was downright horrible at the academy. Well, maybe that was not exactly true.

It was almost as if he had tried… but no one had listened. Wait, that was just not true, right? Naruto was just, Naruto. It was his own fault.

But Sakura was beginning to doubt this. She thought back to yesterday, when Sasuke had told her she was being annoying. Maybe, maybe it was her who did not understand Naruto. She knew Sasuke did not have parents and neither did Naruto. So, they were alike in that way. But, other than him being an orphan and his inability to do lots of things, she did not really know anything about him.

She swallowed, looking at the Uchiha and then the blond. When she caught Naruto’s eye, she nodded. His bright smile catching her off guard. All she did was nod and it was like she was singing praises to him. Hm, maybe she was thinking too much over it. She said nothing and quickly got back to work.

The trio continued their katas throughout the early morning. Sakura ended up having to take a break when she and Naruto reached the fourth academy form. Sasuke kept pushing on through. 

The sky was lightening considerably, and the sun was kissing the trees, when they heard their sensei approach.

Sakura quickly sat up, trying to please their new quirky sensei. Today was a test after all, she needed to get all the points she could. She wiped the sweat from her forehead, trying to calm her breathing. The pink-haired girl nervously cleaned her hands on her qipao dress, glancing at Sasuke to see if he had noticed her unsightly appearance.

She flicked her gaze back to the strange Jonin when he spoke, “Starting training a bit early, ne?”

It was Naruto who graced him with a response, “We’re just getting warmed up for your test, Kakashi-sensei!” The boy gave two thumbs up.

“Maa, maa. You should save your energy; you need to pass my test first,” he cocked his head, grey hair twirling to the side.

Sakura became nervous. She had barely eaten the night before, even less than what her diet demanded. She had been so nervous about this morning. Would Kakashi give them a written test? Maybe he would give them something to do with control and skills.

Her thoughts were put to rest as the Jonin reached into his pocket, pulling out two jingling bells. They swayed as he held them up, the wind chiming them.

“Your goal…,” he paused, curling his eye, “… is to take these bells from me. If you have a bell, you pass.”

Sakura furrowed her brows, “But… Kakashi-sensei? There are only two bells.”

He smiled wider, “Yes, Sakura. Only two of you can pass. That is, if you manage to get the bells.” When the copy-nin tied them to his hip, Sakura could tell Naruto was getting antsy.

She whispered, “Naruto-baka, you need to listen to the rules first. You won’t have any chance of passing otherwise.” As if he had a chance to pass anyway. Sakura was going to be on a team with Sasuke, even if that meant Naruto had to leave. But he had been diligent this morning, so she decided to give him a hint. He was not too bad… when he kept his mouth closed at least.

She saw Kakashi’s eye widen slightly. Sasuke gave a grunt and her attention instantly turned to the boy. He was frowning and cracking his knuckles. So, he wanted to pass as much as her. She would expect nothing less from the Uchiha.

“Alright,” Kakashi cleared his throat, “The first rule of being a ninja is to know deception. Look underneath the underneath.” Sakura thought that was a weird choice of words, why would they need to know deception in their test?

The Jonin continued, “We will first start out in taijutsu, the first basic skill of a ninja. Try and grab these bells using taijutsu only. Let’s see if your practice will come in handy!”

Sakura slid into the basic fighting stance, noting Naruto did the same with his improved posture. Sasuke stepped into the Uchiha form, the stance suited him well. She was ogling him and failed to notice the copy-nin take a swipe at her.

She barely had time to block his punch. It was more forceful than she thought it would be, so she had to take a step back. She was angled in a very strange way, feet ducked out and off balance. 

“If you aren’t going to pay attention, Sakura,” the copy-nin spoke, “Then you will fail right now.” He stepped back, crouching low in a form Sakura had never seen.

She swallowed, “Yes sensei.” She needed to pay attention, now was not the time for Sasuke. Maybe she could ask him on a date after she grabs a bell. Yes, that was a good plan. She nodded her head and stepped back into her stance, determination in her eyes.

The copy-nin looked at all three of them, slowly pivoting around to face them individually. When he turned back to Sakura he lunged.

She cursed in her mind, swiveling her eyes to keep track of the fast Jonin. She was completely on the defensive. How was she supposed to grab a bell? She could not even get a single hit in. She was panting harshly by the time Kakashi let up, and that was only because Sasuke had thrown himself into the mix, hands barely missing the bells.

She bent her knees and doubled over, trying desperately to get her breathing under control. He was really fast, too fast. Kakashi was much faster than any of her previous instructors. When Sakura heard Naruto gasp in outrage, she glanced up.

Sasuke was kneeling on the ground, harshly panting and defeated. His hands were curled and fisted tightly. Naruto was staring directly at her, running as fast as he could. The Jonin was nowhere to be found. No, that was not right. He was right in front of her, coming at her.

She raised her arms in an ‘X’, hoping to block most of the force Kakashi would hit her with. She squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for the kick. When she felt nothing but the harsh whip of air, she cracked her eyes open.

Naruto, dead last Naruto, was standing before her, hands blocking the leg of the Jonin. For a time, there was stillness, no one did anything. The Jonin eventually lifted his leg, planting it beside his other.

“What was that for, sensei! You were fighting dirty!” came Naruto’s shrill cry.

The copy-nin raised a hand, “Your enemies will not fight fair.”

This only caused the knucklehead further confusion, he twirled around, standing beside Sakura now, “But you aren’t our enemy.” His face was scrunched, as if he were trying to see a deeper meaning in the Jonin’s words.

Kakashi hummed solemnly, “In this test I am. If you cannot fight me with the will to kill, you will not pass.” But that did not make sense. Fight with the will to kill. Look underneath the underneath. Only two bells. Sakura’s mind was whirling, there had to be a deeper meaning. But, what was it?

Sakura was ripped from her inner thoughts as Sasuke spoke, “Then I’ll fight you with everything I’ve got! I can’t afford to lose here!”

He rushed forward, kunai in hand. He side stepped the Jonin and feinted in. There was a sickening second when Sakura thought Sasuke had actually hit the copy-nin. But Kakashi had body flickered behind the boy, turning his hand to point the kunai at Sasuke’s back. The kunoichi knew it had to be painful.

“Maa, patience Sasuke. I’ve seen enough of your taijutsu.” He let the boy go and hopped a couple meters back. “Now I want to see your ninjutsu, the second basic skill. Show me want you got, Uchiha,” he taunted.

The boy growled, twirling around, and formed the seals for his signature jutsu, “Fire Release: Great Fireball!” A great roaring fire came to life, aimed directly at Kakashi.

Sakura’s jaw dropped. How could he use that on their sensei! He could have died! But… he was a Jonin after all. Maybe he could take it. He was the one who said fight with the will to kill. She steeled herself and body flickered towards the trees.

She had just made it to the forest when the small clearing was filled with Narutos. How? Naruto could not even produce a single clone a week ago, how was it possible he could produce a hundred clones now? She was even more shocked when those clones started moving.

Sakura had never heard of a jutsu that makes clones move! How was this possible? Was this some sort of trick from Kakashi? He did say to beware of deception, maybe that was what he was talking about. But when she saw how those clones fought, she knew they were Narutos. They had small infractions in their stances, ones that she had spent correcting this morning.

He must have a lot of chakra to make that many clones. Sakura knew she could only produce ten basic clones before she felt her chakra drain severely. He must have a least ten times her reserves if he could produce a hundred clones. She frowned, now was not the time to think of Naruto.

Sasuke was still in the hoard, fighting the copy-nin with all he had. She had to get in there somehow; she had to get a bell. She was struck by an idea.

Sakura quickly performed the transformation jutsu, making herself a perfect copy of the Uzumaki. She ran back into the clearing, blending in with the clones. She discovered they dispelled really easily, if she so much as roughly bumped into them, they would burst away in a puff of smoke.

Alright, she needed to slow down, blend in, and be careful. She followed the mass of clones, hoping they would lead her towards Kakashi and Sasuke. When she eventually reached them, she was one of a few clones left.

She saw Sasuke kneeling on the ground again, pain evident in his eyes. The copy-nin was facing Sasuke, ignoring the clones that tried to pummel him. That was when she realized he was not going to stop. He was going to keep going until he beat Sasuke down. He was going to do what he tried to do with Sakura.

Her eyes widened in realization; he was our enemy right now. Enemies do not pull punches. What should she do? Naruto had protected her, and if the dead last of the class can do that, then she could protect Sasuke. Her, the top kunoichi of the academy. It took one moment of hesitation before she launched towards the Jonin.

Faster, she needed to go faster. Her lungs were burning, bile was building up in her throat. She bypassed the Jonin, turning her nose at the bells that dangled so close to her. She had to protect Sasuke, she could not care about a couple of bells right now. Screw the test. Failing was temporary, but if Sasuke got injured, that could be permanent.

She threw herself over the boy, her back to Kakashi. Again, she braced herself for the hit, but it never came. She slowly turned around. She did not know what to expect, but it certainly was not the Jonin to be smiling.

His eye was curved in his smile as he spoke, “That’s enough of ninjutsu. Now let’s move on to the third basic skill.” 

She did not have time to process what that skill was. All she could see was Kakashi pull up his headband. All she could see was a red eye with three tomoe spinning inside. All she could see was feathers falling down. Then everything was black.

* * *

He had to hand it to her. He had thought of her to be too much of a fangirl to take ninja life seriously, right now at least. He knew he could curb her attitude, but he did not realize she would do it herself.

She had launched herself, directly in front of an attack to protect Sasuke. She had bypassed the bells and put herself in harms way to protect a teammate. Just like Naruto had earlier. He was proud of them.

She did have some brains at least, she was cloaked in a transformation jutsu, disguised as the Uzumaki. When he hit her with his genjutsu the jutsu had popped off, and he had been surprised to see Sakura protecting her teammate instead of Naruto.

The copy-nin twirled around, picking off the few remaining clones before performing the same genjutsu on an awestruck Naruto.

When the blond slumped to the ground, he faced Sasuke again. His body was the perfect harmony of outrage and shock. The Jonin shoved his hands in his pockets, slouching lazily towards the Genin.

“I suppose I have a lot to explain,” he said softly, locking both eyes with the boy.

Sasuke opened his jaw but failed to speak. The copy-nin could see the questions swimming behind his eyes. He could see the hurt and longing. But above all, he could see the anger.

“I did not steal this,” he spoke, “It was given to me by a teammate when I lost my original eye. Obito Uchiha.” The man looked up to the sky, giving silent thanks to his former teammate, “There was a reason you were put with me, Sasuke.”

He spoke deliberately slow, noticing when the boy snapped his mouth shut. His hands and loosened from tight fists, and he could clearly see the hurt more than the anger now.

Kakashi swallowed, “If you pass this test, I could help you. I could teach you how to use your eyes, better than anyone else in the village. Yesterday you said you wanted to kill a certain man. I know who that is.”

He watched as Sasuke inhaled sharply, opening his mouth to reply, “How do you-”

“-I was his teacher once,” was all he supplied. Back in ANBU Kakashi had taught him. It was a regret he now harbored, one of the many he kept with him at all times.

There were several tense moments before Sasuke nodded. Good, he had gotten his attention. He said nothing more as he walked over to the sleeping Genin, pulling them over his shoulders and setting them down together in the middle of the clearing. He worked in silence as he tied them up, looking at Sasuke once more before covering up his sharingan.

The boy seemed to relax when the eye was no longer visible. Kakashi filed that information away, content on finishing this lesson.

He pulled Narutos obnoxious bento box from his bag and set it down several feet in front of the boy. Once he did the same to Sakura’s, he asked Sasuke to take out his own breakfast and start eating. Kakashi quickly gathering his chakra and released the two tied Genin from his genjutsu.

Naruto was the first to wake, “Wah! Why am I tied up Kakashi-sensei? And why is Sasuke-teme getting to eat his breakfast?” As if on cue, Naruto’s stomach gave a huge grumble. The blond looked longingly towards his out of reach bento.

“You and Sakura are tied up because you fell for my genjutsu, Naruto,” came Kakashi’s quiet voice.

Sakura became fully awake due to Naruto’s obnoxious voice, but she did not say anything. She simply stared daggers at the Jonin.

Well, she might be a little peeved at this lesson. Of course, he was not actually going to harm his students, but Sakura did not need to know that yet. He crinkled his eyes, content with how good the morning had gone.

He had expected them to work on their own. So far, only Sasuke had stuck with that idea. Naruto had jumped in front of Kakashi’s kick, sweeping past the bells at his hip to protect his comrade. Sakura had done the same. Now, all that’s left is to get Sasuke to play along and he would end the ‘test’.

“Now. Since you two failed the genjutsu portion, I’ll make you go without breakfast until Sasuke is done. Once he’s finished, we can try again later. This is your last chance, fail this and you fail the test,” Kakashi spoke severely, instantly seeing the effect on both Naruto and Sakura.

But Sasuke looked confused. Of course, he realized that there was no genjutsu put on himself, only Naruto and Sakura. Hmm, it would be interesting to see how he acted.

Kakashi gave one more eye crinkle and then swirled on a dime into the forest, closely watching his minions. It only took a few second for Naruto’s stomach to growl at an incomprehensible volume. Sakura was just as hungry, and kept glancing at her bento wistfully.

Sasuke gave a huge sigh before standing up, “Here.” He walked to the other bentos and picked them up, depositing them within arms reach of the tied up Genin.

“But Sasuke-kun,” Sakura nervously replied, glancing anxiously into the forest where Kakashi was hiding, “Kakashi-sensei said we can’t eat. It’s our punishment!”

“Tch. We have no chance of beating him if you two can’t keep up,” spoke the Uchiha.

Sakura’s eyes widened in comprehension. So, she figured it out. She really is smart. Kakashi supposed she was not top kunoichi of her year for nothing.

She hummed, “Yes. We need to work together. That’s what he meant by deception and seeing underneath the underneath. This test is not about getting bells, it’s about working together.”

When Naruto and Sakura dug into their meals, Kakashi body flickered in front of them. He called lightning from the skies as he spoke, “You!” He waited for three seconds, seeing the dread on all their faces. Oh, it was glorious.

“You pass,” he said calmly, fully smiling at how well his Genin were getting along. “As a friend of mine, Obito, once said,” he paused, noticing Sasuke stiffen in recognition of the name, “Those who break the rules are scum, that’s true, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum.”

He straightened, glancing at Naruto, “You were the first to do this, Naruto.” The Uzumaki’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You jumped in to save Sakura, completely missing your opportunity to grab the bells. Sakura,” he turned towards her, “You did the same to protect Sasuke.”

He finally turned towards the Uchiha, “And you disobeyed orders to give your teammates a helping hand. I’m proud of you all!”

All three Genin were surprised by his words. Naruto looked close to tears and Sakura was beaming.

He slipped out a kunai, cutting the two tied Genin free. When Kakashi stood up again, he spoke, “From this moment forward you are officially members of Team Seven. You all have worked hard this morning; finish your breakfast and we will take a mission.”

Naruto’s eyes blew wide, “Yatta! I get to save a princess or fight evil ninja dudes!” He ran around the clearing, shoving his breakfast down as fast as he could.

“Naruto-baka! Genin don’t take missions like those!” came Sakura’s sharp reply.

It was almost comical how quickly Naruto deflated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here’s the infamous bell test! Hope you liked my rendition! If you have any advice or feedback, please feel free to comment!


	5. Budding

There was a strong hiss, a loud scream, and a hearty chuckle. The sun was sat low in the sky, flooding the Land of Fire in a light worthy of its name. Team Seven was making their way towards the Hokage’s Tower, cargo in tow.

“You’re really good with her, Sasuke-kun!” came the tired voice of Sakura. Small bits of pink hair were sticking to her forehead, the sun giving her a light glow.

The boy narrowed his eyes, “Hn.” He was holding a small brown cat at full arms-length, eye twitching when he viewed the big red bow on her head. Much to Sasuke’s embarrassment, the cat was purring.

“That thing is a monster, Sakura-chan!” Naruto pouted. There were angry red scratches marking his face. He was standing behind his sensei, trying to keep his distance from the rabid beast.

Kakashi quirked his lip, humor twinkling in his eyes. It was funny, hilarious even, that the first mission Team Seven had been assigned to, was the rescue of poor Tora. The team had been relatively successful. They had a shaky beginning, but after a few encouraging scratches, they got their act together.

The copy-nin turned his eye towards the lowering sun, remembering a time when his own team had a similar mission. He had thought it to be a punishment for their lackluster behavior, at the time he did not see the need. But now, he thought back on his own Genin, he realized Minato must have wanted them to put aside their differences and work together.

Kakashi had realized that lesson too late.

“Kakashi-sensei?” Sakura spoke, shaking the ninja from his thoughts, “Are we meeting tomorrow?”

He nodded, looking at the pink girl and noting the subtle differences she’d been exhibiting all day. She had already come so far. Sure, she was still a fangirl, but she could at least stand Naruto’s presence now. In fact, all of his team had been changed by this morning. Naruto seemed to take ninja life more seriously, focusing some of his attention on the idea of protecting. 

Kakashi knew the boy has had no one, another one of the guilts that he held. Naruto was just now finding people he could call friends; he was just now finding people he could protect. If he was serious about being Hokage, he would need to make protecting his number one priority. He was still a knucklehead, and far from the quality of ninja he could be. However, Kakashi could see the hard-set determination etched in everything the boy did.

He glanced at his quietest student. Sasuke had a scowl deeply set on his face, he could tell the boy did not enjoy carrying their target. Sasuke had changed as well. He knew the Uchiha was trying to not ignore his teammates, probably due to Kakashi’s emphasis on teamwork… and Obito.

He softened his eyes, “Maa. If we make it to the tower in one minute, I’ll teach you a ninja technique tomorrow.”

The copy-nin instantly saw the difference in his team. Sasuke’s eyes widened at the aspect of advancement; his scowl was replaced by a smirk. Naruto was already running ahead, shouting at the top of his lungs about being an awesome ninja. And Sakura, she was furling her fists in determination, trying to amp herself up for a run.

The Jonin curled his eye. Yes, tree walking would be a wonderful technique to show them. He could already imagine their faces at the sheer amount of hours it would take to master. It may have been a little too early to teach them the technique, but he could twist it to be a bonding exercise. Oh well, advancement was advancement. He chuckled to himself before twirling in a flurry of leaves.

He was waiting at the bottom of the tower, slouching back against the stairs. The Jonin heard them way before he saw them. When a flash of orange caught his attention, the copy-nin swayed upwards. He really needed to get rid of that atrocious thing Naruto called clothes.

“What took you so long?” he teased, relishing in the flushed faces of his Genin. Tora was wiggling in Sasuke’s arms. It had taken them exactly 56 seconds to reach the tower. It was not a bad time, but it was not good either.

The knucklehead hotly replied, “Well, if you taught us that swirly leaf thing, we could have made it in no time!” 

Sakura’s eyes narrowed as Kakashi cooed, “Ah, but you already learned the swirly leaf thing in the Academy, Naruto.” When the boy’s jaw dropped, he added helpfully, “It’s called the Body Flicker in case you forgot!”

Naruto was about to reply but the Jonin beat him to it, “You’ll remember that next time, ne? However, you still made it within the minute deadline, even without the use of techniques. So, I’ll teach you a new skill tomorrow, like promised!” He crinkled his eye in a placating way.

The sulky Genin walked their way up the stairs and through the door. Naruto and Sakura were burning holes into the sign that marked ‘Academy’. But Sasuke was glaring at the still wiggling Tora, her purring growing ever louder.

All four ninja startled as a bright voice called, “ETERNAL RIVAL!” 

Kakashi resisted the urge to bang his face into his hands; he had not expected his team to meet Gai’s quite yet. Instead, the Jonin raised two fingers and saluted the spandex clad man. The other Genin walked in behind the Green Beast.

The Hyuga was focused solely on Sasuke; his moon eyes were cold and hard. Tenten smiled apologetically at Sakura, glancing over the younger girl to size her up. She smiled sweetly afterward, bobbing her head in a cute gesture. Lee was staring at Sakura too; there were practically hearts in his eyes. The copy-nin braced himself for the outburst.

He was not disappointed, “Gai-sensei! Who is this beautiful flower?”

The Jonin cringed inwardly, he knew Sakura would not deal well with Lee. She was, after all, fully dedicated to her Sasuke-kun.

His pink Genin sweetly replied, “Kakashi-sensei! Who’s this green toothpick with the caterpillar brows?” Well, that may have been a bit too much.

Lee hung his head as Gai spoke, “Ah, maybe we shall properly meet at another time, rival!” He gave two thumbs up and tried to scamper his Genin away.

When the odd team passed beyond earshot, Naruto asked in a curious voice, “Do you know them, Kakashi-sensei?”

The Jonin hummed, starting the walk towards the mission desk again.

He spoke softly, “Their sensei is Maito Guy. He’s a very skilled Jonin of Konohagakure. Some even think he’s on the same level as me.”

“Well, what do you think?” came Sakura’s small voice.

“Hm,” the copy-nin said, “He holds a technique that can wipe the floor with me.” He noticed the shock on his Genin’s faces, particularly Sasuke’s.

He continued, “He has Hyuga Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten as his Genin. Neji is the prodigy of the Hyuga clan, though he has a couple of twisted ideals. Lee can only use taijutsu; his chakra coils were malformed at birth. And Tenten is becoming quite skilled with projectiles.” Kakashi glanced over at Naruto before adding, “No one knows her last name. Not even herself.”

He noticed Naruto grew quiet, a somber expression marring his features. Sakura was thoughtful. She was obviously curious about the three new Genin. And Sasuke… he was tense.

Just as they reached the mission room door, Kakashi spoke, “Maa, maa. They are a year your senior and have had more experience,” he crinkled his eye, “But the next time you see them, you three can have a friendly spar!”

Sakura and Sasuke brightened considerably, but Naruto still had a frown on his face. It would not do to get them overconfident. But if he could have them regularly spar a superior team, they would become stronger. He needed them to have all the strength they could muster if he were to protect this team.

When they all stepped through the threshold, Sasuke practically dumped the retched Tora on the floor. Kakashi smiled and withheld a laugh as Madam Shijimi picked up her hissing and crying cat. 

He was proud of his team for a job well done. They had all worked together, in their own way at least. The Jonin watched fondly as his team bickered about who had done the most work.

Yes, they were slowly coming along. Very slowly.

* * *

The birds chirped their morning greeting as three young shinobi wormed their way through katas. The little clearing of training ground six was filled with small huffs, the dirt marred by their work.

The pink haired girl gasped, “Let’s take a break Naruto.”

The blond nodded in acknowledgment, stepping out of his stance to sit beside the girl in the grass. He let his gaze wonder, content with how the morning was going. Sakura was still teaching him the new stances!

He will not take her kindness for granted. Sure, she could be mean sometimes, calling him baka. But he knew she was taking the time out of her own training to help him learn the stances.

He turned towards her, “Hey, Sakura-chan?” A small blush graced his cheeks as he prepared to speak.

“What is it Naruto?” She spoke, not looking at the blond. Her eyes were still trained on Sasuke. He was still working on his kata, punching as hard as he could.

“I just wanted to thank you, ya know?” he rushed out, blush getting deeper. Oh, this was embarrassing. Maybe if she was accepting, he could ask her on a date!

Sakura turned towards the Uzumaki; the wind was blowing her pink hair in a nice way. Her eyes widened slightly, and she was furrowing her eyebrows.

She murmured, “That’s alright, Naruto. It’s helping me review anyway.” She glanced back at the Uchiha, “I need to be strong, so the review isn’t bad.”

A small blush graced her own cheeks, and that’s when Naruto realized. She wanted Sasuke’s attention, needed the affirmation that she was strong. Just like Naruto needed it. He wanted to be respected, to stop having glares pointed at him in the street. Maybe Sakura was in a similar situation.

“Hey Sakura? What’s it like? Having a family, I mean,” he spoke softly, a light frown on his face.

She looked surprised and almost angry, before her eyes softened in realization, “Its not all that good, Naruto.”

He was about to respond when she talked again, “Sometimes I wish I didn’t even have these bonds. But then I realize I’m being selfish.” She glanced at Sasuke again, trying to keep her voice as quiet as possible.

“My dad’s a merchant and he usually isn’t around too much. My mom keeps me company when he’s gone. And sometimes she can be a bit… abrasive,” she said, turning her eyes to the ground, “but it isn’t all that bad.”

Naruto deepened his frown. So, she did have a reason to want the attention. Her dad was always busy, and her mom was… well he did not know what abrasive meant, but he knew by the way Sakura spoke it was not a good description.

He was going to speak again and ask her on the date he had promised himself. However, there came a loud crinkle of leaves to signify their approaching sensei.

The two Genin stood up, brushing off the dirt as Sasuke paused his forms. They watched with curious eyes as the Jonin slouched his way into the clearing.

Naruto piped up, interest piqued, “What are those for sensei?” He pointed to the two thick strands of rope the copy-nin held in his hand.

The Jonin curled his eye as he deposited the ropes in front of Sakura, “These are for the new technique I’m teaching you. Sakura, tie one of your legs to Naruto, the other to Sasuke.”

Her eyes narrowed but she did as she was told. When she was done tying Naruto, he felt his leg was being too constricted. How was this suppose to help them learn an awesome ninja trick?

When she finished Kakashi clapped his hands, “Now. You three will be learning to climb up a tree using only your feet. This exercise is very effective in helping with chakra control, which you really need Naruto.”

The blond pouted, he was an awesome ninja. So what if he didn’t have a lot of control over his chakra. The stupid fox gave him an extra boost in his capacity. 

The Jonin continued, “It can also help increase endurance, which you need to work on Sakura.” She turned her eyes downward, clearly embarrassed.

Kakashi turned towards Sasuke, “And it is absolutely essential when it comes to fights in the trees.” The Uchiha nodded, watching intently as the copy-nin started to move.

He raised his hands and formed a rat sign, a small circle of chakra burst from his feet. He slowly walked towards the nearest tree, a thick and sturdy oak. He placed one foot on, and then another.

Naruto watched, amazed as the Jonin quickly made his way up the tree. The blond dropped his jaw as the copy-nin walked upside down on a thick branch. That technique is so cool! He could pull so many pranks if he could do that!

“Your goal,” spoke Kakashi, “Is to make it to the top of this tree.”

Alright! Naruto could totally do this, no problem. He shoved his hands into a sloppy rat and pushed as much chakra as he could into his feet. Forgetting he was tied to his two teammates, he ran forward, only to face plant in the dirt as Sakura failed to move.

She scolded, “Naruto-baka! We have to go up together! You can’t just go swinging around all that chakra and take off without us!”

The boy sheepishly scratched his head, “Heh, sorry Sakura-chan.”

She tsked, helped him to his feet, and then jammed her hands together. Sasuke and Naruto quickly copied her. The sooner they got this technique done, the sooner they could be more awesome!

He slowly marched towards the tree, making sure to not outpace his comrades this time. He put one of his feet on, the other two copying swiftly. Sakura was the first to lift her other foot, dragging Sasuke’s with it. She stuck to the tree nicely, a proud smile beaming on her face. Sasuke started to attach his other foot, but Naruto tried to beat him to it.

There came a loud crunch and the three Genin flew back from the tree. Naruto stared in wonderment as there was a large crater exactly where his foot had been.

“Tch,” scoffed Sasuke, “You messed us up, dobe.”

Naruto almost replied that it was Sasuke who was bringing them down, but Kakashi interrupted, “What went wrong? Sakura?”

“Umm…” she hummed, trying to think of an explanation, “Well, I stuck to the tree and Sasuke-kun was about to as well. But Naruto-baka used a lot of chakra and ended up blowing a chunk into the tree.”

The Jonin nodded, “That’s right. Naruto, you used way too much chakra for such a simple task. This is what I meant by chakra control. Try and dial down the amount you used.”

Naruto furrowed his brows. Dial down? He had only used a small amount of chakra to begin with. He frowned, maybe he should use even less.

Kakashi took one final look at the Genin before sauntering away to sit on the grass. He held an orange book, flipping the pages lazily.

The boy jammed his hands together again, waiting for his teammates to do the same. Sasuke huffed but eventually formed the hand sign. They walked their way to a new tree, setting one of their feet on the bark like last time.

Sakura lifted her other foot from the ground, Sasuke’s dangling along with it. This time Naruto let Sasuke go first. There was a small crunching sound as Sasuke landed his second foot on the tree. His hold stuck, but there was a slight mar in the bark.

Naruto concentrated as hard as he could. He sliced his chakra as thinly as it would go, using only the tiniest amount. He delicately placed his second foot on the tree, feeling the strain in his calves. There was a loud pop as a crack appeared in the bark. He held tight to the tree, not wanting to disappoint his team

“Naruto-baka,” came Sakura’s voice, “You’re still using too much chakra.” She turned her head to the other boy, “Umm… Sasuke-kun. You’re doing really well, but… you are still using slightly too much.”

The stoic boy only replied with, “Hn.”

Sakura cringed back, a faint blush on her cheeks. She blew out a long breath and started to raise another foot. Naruto found himself off balance, not prepared for the sudden movement. His chakra cut out in his surprise and the three Genin fell off the tree, landing in the compact dirt below.

“Oh!” Sakura harrumphed, “I didn’t tell you I’d move, Naruto. That was my fault.”

The blond barely hid his surprise, Sakura was actually apologizing to him. No one but Iruka and the Old Man Hokage had ever done that.

“It’s alright, Sakura-chan. Let’s just try again,” he said, signature grin in place.

Sasuke growled as he got up, clearly upset that his teammates were messing with his progress. They jabbed their hands together again, placing one foot back on the tree.

On and on the Genin went. It took them around two hours to get halfway up the tree. Naruto knew he could not have made it this far without Sakura’s hints. The morning went by, but around nine o’clock their sensei stopped them.

“Maa, that’s enough for now. I’m actually impressed with how far you’ve gotten. Not a lot of Genin can say they almost completed this skill in only a few hours.”

Sakura slumped to the ground, heavily panting and rubbing her ankles. Sasuke seemed slightly winded, but Naruto was up and running.

The blond yelled out, “Do we get to eat breakfast now, Kakashi-sensei? I’m starving!” He rubbed his stomach, marching up to his silver haired teacher.

“Hm. You three can go eat a late breakfast. Meet back at the Hokage’s Tower in two hours, we’ll take another mission!”

Sasuke stiffened and Naruto howled, “Not that horrible cat! Right?”

“Naruto you idiot,” Sakura responded, “Mission are normally different.” Even though her words sounded tough, she was keeping her eyes on the Jonin.

Kakashi raised his hands, “No, my cute students. We won’t be finding Tora today!”

The blond physically relaxed, running around the clearing again. Maybe he could ask Sakura to that date. She would love Ichiraku’s for breakfast!

His mind raced as he thought of all the missions they could go on today. With the new trick they were learning, anything could be done quickly. Maybe they were going to rescue people from ambushes, or deliver important documents to the Kage. Oh, Naruto was so excited.

Nothing could tame his budding mood. Not even the nasty bruise he gained when he asked Sakura out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Chapter four in the bag! I just wanted to state that the Academy is inside the Hokage’s Tower. At least before the rebuilding of Konoha. That’s why the Genin could see the Academy Sign when they were outside the entrance.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! If you have any feedback, please feel free to comment.


	6. Weeping Rain

A bleary haze of clouds filtered slowly through Konoha. It was a strange act of nature that copied Kakashi’s inner thoughts.

It had been two days since Team Seven had started the group bonding of tree walking. They had finally achieved an acceptable standard the previous night. The Jonin would even say he was proud. However, they still were not working together in an appropriate way.

Sakura was still berating Naruto for the exact same thing she bugs the Uchiha with. Sasuke, though he had improved, was still seeing the others as dead weight. And Naruto, he was trying. He could give the knucklehead that, but he was still being too aggressive towards Sasuke and too social towards Sakura.

Kakashi was conflicted. He knew he should give them advice, but he did not know the correct way to go about it. If he pushed too little nothing would happen. If he pushed too much they would fall apart or snap.

He could not afford mistakes. He had already vowed and lost too many precious people. He could not lose Team Seven. He had prayed to Minato and pledged to Obito. Yet, if he pushed too hard, they could end up like the ANBU. They could be like Rin.

Like Sakumo.

Kakashi needed to change his thought. It would not do to dwell on mistakes that he was not at fault for. He knew this, fundamentally he knew. It still hurt, nonetheless.

The copy-nin closed his eyes, perched in a tree near the little clearing his Genin were currently practicing in. He stuck his hand in his pouch, feeling the familiar bite of the bells. He steeled himself for the lesson he was about to teach his team.

“For you…” he spoke gently, breath misting off into the wind, “Obito. Rin. Minato-sensei. Dad.”

There were so many he had failed. So many children and people he had let die. He could not let that happen to his team. They were too precious; he needed them strong.

So, he stood up, scraping his feet against the rough bark. He launched off the branch and struck loudly on the leaves below. He crunched his way to his team, false smile in place.

“Kakashi-sensei,” spoke his pink kunoichi, a small frown upon her lips, “You’re late today.”

He raised a hand to his head, shrugging, “Maa, just got lost on the road of life.”

Her frown deepened but she did not speak again. He assessed his team, intent on proving to them how powerful they needed to be.

“Today we will begin with something different,” he started, noticing as his Genin straightened their backs, “Naruto, make ten clones.”

When the orange ninja did so, the Jonin continued, “Narutos, I want you to surround Sakura. Try and talk to her as much as possible. Sakura, just remain where you are.”

He saw the curious glances his team gave, but he displayed nothing. Naruto launched into his tales about Konohamaru, Ichiraku Ramen, and pranks. Sakura’s eyes were twitching, but she held her ground.

They had made it a solid five minutes before Naruto started screaming about dating Sakura. Like a twig, she snapped. She rushed at the clone who spoke, arm raised high and teeth bared.

Kakashi quickly substituted with the clone, launching himself away from the attack.

Sakura swung where the clone once stood. She missed as the momentum carried her on. When she hit the ground there was a puff of dirt; it mixed with the fog as it slowly dissipated. She stared in shock when she realized how hard she had punched.

There was a small crater in the ground, her fist lodged directly in the center. She roughly pulled her arm up, crumbling the dirt as she went. Naruto was gaping, and even Sasuke looked slightly impressed.

“Now you realize, Sakura,” came the cold voice of Kakashi, “That’s the kind of force you’ve been hitting Naruto with. All that energy because he asked you on a date.”

She frowned, furrowing her brows and glancing wearily at the Jonin.

He spoke on, “He is doing the same thing you do to Sasuke.”

He saw her eyes blow wide. He saw her arm tremble. He saw her mouth open as she expelled a soft, “Oh.”

“It is alright for you to not reciprocate Naruto’s feelings. But fighting it with violence is not the answer. It is never the answer when it comes to comrades,” Kakashi bit out, hating the way he had to deliver the message. He diligently carried on, “You have a remarkable punch, and it should never be used like this.”

The copy-nin turned towards Naruto, “She has asked you multiple times to quit Naruto. I understand the reason you did today was due to the exercise I asked you to perform. However, you should respect her wishes if she says no to you.”

“This is a team. We are a team,” he spoke more gently now, glancing at his three students, “We have to act cohesive. There can be no infighting. I have given you three days to start repairing your bonds, and you have only achieved a miniscule tolerance. I’m not asking for an overnight change, but I am asking for your cooperation in trying.”

He sighed, expelling the last of the scolding, “It is the Konoha bonds that make our village strong and unique. Fighting out of pettiness will never again be tolerated by me. If one of you has an issue with another, you are to confront them in a polite way or talk to me about it. There will be no more academy foolishness.”

He closed his eyes, forcing all of his will into his next words, “You need to be strong. The more you work together, the stronger you can be. I know you have it in you. I’m impressed with how far you have come on your own, but now is the time to push aside differences and become stronger as a unit.”

When he peeked at his Genin again, he saw Naruto and Sakura hunching their shoulders, stealing glances at each other. Sasuke was almost glaring, but confusion seemed to weigh heavily on him.

Naruto was the first to break the small silence, “I-I’m sorry Sakura-chan. I know you’ve been asking me to stop for a while. I just thought if I’d keep asking you, you would give me a chance, ya know? And… And I’m sorry Kakashi-sensei, for letting you down. And I guess Sasuke-tem… I mean Sasuke. I’m sorry too.”

The copy-nin softened his eye, “Maa. I was not let down by you, Naruto. I’m simply preventing that from occurring. But I accept your apology anyway.” He nodded his head, placing a palm on the top of the unruly blond hair, “I’m proud of you for apologizing; I know it’s hard.”

The Uzumaki looked up with watery eyes, smiling appreciatively at the Jonin.

“Umm… I- I accept too, Naruto,” Sakura blurted out, “I’m sorry too, for hitting you and everything. And- Sasuke-kun… for asking you over and over again.”

The Uchiha nodded this time, but Naruto raised a thumbs up to Sakura, “It’s alright, Sakura-chan. I forgive you.”

Kakashi hummed in agreement as he turned towards the last Uchiha. His hands were in his pocket and a sour look was on his face.

He reluctantly turned from his team, sighing out, “I apologize.”

The copy-nin crinkled his eye. Well, they took the lesson far better than expected. He still needed a few words with Sasuke, but that could wait for another day. After all, he needed to prepare if he were to show his student his past. Connecting with Sasuke would not be easy, but damnit if he would not try.

“I’m proud of you all. Maybe now that you can start trying to work as a team, we will have an easier time with training,” he spoke, trying to shove as much pride as he could in his words, “I was late today, so go ahead and eat breakfast. After you are done, we will start with actual training. If you are going to act like real ninja and work together, then I will treat you like real ninja and train you with seriousness.”

It got the desired effect. Naruto bounced around the small glade, clapping his hands and slurping his breakfast. Sakura had that fire and determination in her eyes. She was marching straight up to Naruto, trying to get him to sit with her for breakfast.

But it really effected Sasuke. It was intended to of course. The young boy had frozen and locked eyes with Kakashi. There was a small moment of incredulity before the lesson actually hit home. He was glancing, bewildered, at his two teammates.

He stood awkwardly for a minute before he slowly walked his way towards the Genin. He sat a few feet from them, calmly eating from his bento.

Yes, Kakashi would call this a success.

* * *

There came a flash of platinum light. It whipped across the air, tangling with the wind before crashing down on an unfortunate boy’s face.

“Ugh. What the hell, Ino?” he breathed, coming to a halt behind the kunoichi.

“Shh, Shikamaru,” she spoke in mock whisper, “You’ll scare her away.”

The Nara rolled his eyes, swaying his body to the side. He was staring directly at their target, a small brown cat with an obnoxiously red bow on her head. Shikamaru crouched, taking his signature stance as he performed the shadow paralysis jutsu.

He had almost caught the damn thing when Choji came crashing through the forest floor. The brown monster spooked and ran away, right before the Nara could snatch her up in the jutsu.

“CHOJI! We almost caught her!” the Yamanaka screeched, right into Shikamaru’s ear.

He recoiled quickly, slapping a hand over his abused head. The blond girl sashayed towards the Akimichi; she jammed her hands at her hips, curling her lip in a pout.

She sighed, “We’ve been at this for hours! Why can’t Asuma-sensei just come save us already?”

“I think he wants us to do this on our own, Ino,” Choji said quietly, clearly nervous from his recent mess up.

Shikamaru huffed, leaning back on his heels and relaxing in his crouched position. They had been searching for three hours. At first it was humorous, watching Ino wander about on her quest to find the cute kitty. But that little ‘kitty’ turned out to be as cuddly as a cactus.

He murmured, closing his eyes, “Troublesome cat.” That cat was just like the women in his life, violent and crazy.

“Oh no you don’t, lazy ass!” snapped the hot-headed blond, “You don’t get to take a nap right now! We’re on a mission, Shikamaru.”

Yeah, that cat was just like the women he knew.

He rolled his eyes once more before swaying to his feet. He pocketed his hands in his pouches, calmly walking towards the direction of the cat. He heard Choji follow him, but Ino was, of course, being obstinate.

She huffed, “Shikamaru! Where are you going?”

“Towards the demon,” he drawled.

By some miracle of the Gods, she decided to follow him with only a little grumbling. He pushed his way through the brambles, following the clear path the cat had left for him. Ten minutes elapsed before they caught sight of the target.

“Alright, Choji. I want you to go behind Tora, block her exits when she decides to run again,” the lazy ninja spoke, slowly pivoting to take in his environment.

When Choji headed off, the Nara turned towards Ino, “When I signal, can you throw a flash bomb three feet to the right of the target?”

She nodded her head and inserted a hand into her kunai pouch. Shikamaru walked lazily, circling around Ino to hide in a dense bush. He crouched down, waiting for the Akimichi to take his place. When Choji gave a thumbs up, Shikamaru raised his hand for Ino.

He heard the zing of the kunai as it whirled towards the cat. A loud bang and a blinding light followed its impact.

The Nara heard a noisy yelp from Tora as he sped his shadow towards the estimated placement of the cat. As predicted, he felt the taut tug on his shadow as he captured the target.

“I got her, Shikamaru!” came the chirp from Ino.

He released his jutsu, relishing in the shriek the Yamanaka gave.

The lazy ninja peeked his head over the bush, glancing at the furious kunoichi. She was wildly swinging their target. The cat was fighting back, claws fully out and arms violently rocking.

“Settle down, Ino,” Shikamaru spoke, “The more you flail, the more she claws.”

The blond deadpanned, stilling her body. The cat did not seem to notice, it was almost as if she got wilder with less motion. She was hissing and scratching more frantically.

The boys walked towards her, Shikamaru keeping his distance as Choji spoke up, “I can take her for you, if you want.”

Ino sighed appreciatively, tentatively walking forward. She held the cat at an awkward angle. Choji reached out to grab her, but suddenly there came a loud bang and crunch.

All three ninja froze.

The noise grew progressively louder, heading towards the Genin’s direction. It sounded like running, but it was interspersed with periodic crunches and bangs.

“Get down!” the Nara exclaimed.

Team Ten hit the ground, momentarily forgetting their target. Ino accidently let the cat loose. She ran free from the team, heading off in the direction of the noise.

There came a thunderous pop, like sandaled feet cracking wood.

“Naruto! Stop… that,” a wheezing voice sounded, just as a mop of pink hair crossed into the vision of Shikamaru.

He sighed, rolling upwards. At least his team was not in danger. He pulled himself to his knees, Choji and Ino following.

He stared at the kunoichi, eyes wide in slight shock. She was standing upside-down on a thick tree branch, glaring at a similarly upside-down Naruto. Her hair was wild, tangled with leaves and dirt. She was out of breath, clearly winded from her time on the trees.

The orange ninja spoke, “It’s not my fault, Sakura-chan! Kakashi-sensei just keeps on scaring me!” Naruto raised his arms in a surrendering gesture, just then spotting the members of Team Ten on the ground below.

“Hey guys! You seen Sasuke around?” he asked loudly.

As if on cue, there was another loud pop. All five ninja jumped, startled by the abrupt noise. Sasuke came into view, hanging by his feet as well.

He looked winded, and clearly peeved. Who was Shikamaru kidding, when was Sasuke not peeved? The boy was like the opposite of Choji.

He was surprised then, when the Uchiha spoke, “Kakashi’s on his way. I suggest we head out, enough bumbling around, Naruto.”

That was the most words the Nara had ever heard Sasuke speak. He was about to comment, but the skies suddenly filled with ominous clouds. Lighting rained down as another pop ensued.

What the crap was going on?

“I found you!” came a silky, sweet voice, “Switch!”

Team Seven dropped to the ground. Sakura looked relieved, rubbing her ankles as if it was the most blissful thing. Sasuke bent at the waist, crouching into squats every now and again. He probably needed to gain feeling back into his legs. Naruto came towards Team Ten, hiding himself behind Choji.

“What’s going on?” Ino spoke, glaring daggers at Sakura while trying to pretty herself for Sasuke.

“It’s just a training exercise,” the silky voice returned. Shikamaru looked around, finding the silver haired man who spoke.

A training exercise? Shikamaru would die if Asuma ever made him work like that. The Nara preferred a slower route when it came to physical activity.

He glanced at the team. They had already mastered the tree walking jutsu, even Naruto. The sensei must be good if he could beat technique into the Uzumaki’s head. The last he remembered, Naruto was absolutely horrible at chakra control. Now the boy could walk on trees.

Shikamaru frowned, surveying the Jonin once more.

The copy-nin crinkled his eye, “I apologize for interfering with your mission. I did not realize you three were so close to us. We will, of course, help you recapture your target.” He nodded his head, staring his Genin intently.

“What target?” Naruto twittered; eyes narrowed in slight suspicion.

Ino scoffed, “We are finding the Daimyo’s Wife’s cat, Naruto-baka. And we had captured her too before you and Forehead interrupted!”

Kakashi’s smile grew wider as he surveyed his now spluttering Genin. So, they must have already done this mission. They knew how to properly react towards the demon cat.

Shikamaru turned towards Naruto as he gasped, “Not again, Kakashi-sensei!”

“Maa, Maa. Just think about it as extra training,” the Join spoke calmly, “Switch.”

All three ninja groaned, heaving themselves from their position and walking leisurely towards the thick trees. There was another loud pop and flash of lightening. Team Seven immediately began running towards their destination, not stopping until they hung downwards once more.

The copy-nin turned his head, “We’ll find that cat in no time!”

Shikamaru raised his eyebrows, not commenting on just how unlikely that would be. The teams set off, following the last known direction of the target. No one spoke except for the coos from Ino to Sasuke, and the crunch of Choji’s chips.

Every so often Team Seven’s sensei would call out, “Switch!” and the Genin would hop to the ground or back up to the trees. It was quite a bizarre experience.

Thirty minutes passed before they heard the cat again. They burst through the edge of the forest, now on the outskirts of town. The cat was hissing a fit in a tall tree, attacking the swaying leaves with gusto.

Shikamaru was surprised once more when the Uchiha took initiative. He did have to be egged on by his sensei, and physically pushed by Naruto. But he was the one to climb the tree and ‘rescue’ the cat.

The demon stopped hissing, intent on purring in Sasuke’s arms.

The lazy ninja shoved a fist to his mouth, stifling the laugh that threatened to spill out. His hand did nothing, however, to stop the low brash laugh of Asuma.

The Nara turned, glancing at his Jonin as he swayed nearer to the two teams. His cigarette was perched precariously on his lips, dangling ever closer to the edge as he sniggered.

“I must say I’m impressed, Kakashi,” the Sarutobi spoke is dulcet tones, sweetened by the humor in his voice, “Never thought I’d see the day when you’d start sending in your kids.”

Kakashi raised a hand, curling his eye, “We were just crossing paths, Asuma. What’s a little extra training? Besides, it’s only a cute little cat.”

Naruto and Ino stiffened, throwing in their own opinion about the ‘cute cat’. The Uchiha scoffed, glaring at the wriggling mess in his hands.

Shikamaru sighed, sitting down on the ground to gaze at the clouds. That mission had been so troublesome. Now, all he wanted was to take a nap. Hopefully, Team Seven could turn it in for them, maybe then the slacker could get some rest.

He closed his eyes, listening to the grumbles of the teams. He only cracked them open again when he heard the tell-tale sign of a crunching chip bag.

Choji spoke up, sitting down next to his friend, “Naruto’s really grown these past few days, huh?”

The Nara just hummed.

“His sensei must be something,” the Akimichi said softly.

Shikamaru reached out, grabbing a chip from the open bag.

Choji continued, “I heard him talking about more endurance training.”

The slacker brought the chunk to his mouth, munching on the barbeque flavor.

“And Asuma-sensei volunteered us to join in,” the boy finished quietly.

He proceeded to cough up his chip. Ah, man, there went that nap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here’s a slight filler chapter! Finally getting into some more serious training! And, not to mention, Team Ten will be joining in more. I really want to create a stronger dynamic between the rookie teams before the Chunin Exam arc.
> 
> As always, if you have any feedback, feel free to comment!


	7. Surrounded in Fire

There came a soft shuffle of feet, scraping the stiff tatami on the floor. They padded towards the empty hall and paused before the door. A soft huff escaped lips as feet were carefully stuffed into sandals. A boy straightened up and walked swiftly out the door, not once glancing at the broken picture of his family that graced the floor.

His mind whirled at the memories of the day before, the same memories that had kept him up late in the night. His sensei was crazy, disturbing even. As he walked the streets and passed house upon house, he couldn’t help but think deeper into his sensei’s words.

He had been told his whole life that Konoha bonds made the village weak. And now, his sensei came along and uprooted every belief he had ever held. Other people were making him weak, especially Naruto. But was that really true?

He couldn’t afford a slip up. He had to fight in order to win. Itachi was still lurking in the shadows, and as long as that man lived, he could not fail. Maybe Kakashi was just playing him. But it didn’t seem like he was. His sensei had promised to teach him like a ninja if he played nice to his teammates.

He scoffed. And what great teammates they were. They kept dragging him down.

He raised his gaze to the stars, remembering when his mom had taught him about them. He closed his eyes, accidentally letting his control slip.

“Focus little one,” her soft voiced came, bouncing in his mind, “There might be a time when you need the stars. They have helped your father and I, as I’m sure they will help you when you’re older.”

His little voice pouted out, “Mother, but these are boring! I won’t need to follow stars if I’m just as good as brother!”

“Alright then,” came his mother’s twinkling laugh, “That means you’ll just have to rely on your comrades for help.”

He abruptly stopped his walk, hands clenched to his sides and face pointed towards the heavens.

“Momma,” he choked out, hating the way his voice sounded. Hating the way his throat clenched around tears. Hating the way his ears still rang with his mother’s laugh.

He took in a shaky deep breath, gulping in the crisp air of the early dawn. Slowly, his control returned to him. He lowered his head, opening his cold eyes on the street. He resumed his walk at a casual pace, forcing the memory from his mind and leaving it behind him.

No. He had been wrong. Kakashi wasn’t the only one to hold ridiculous ideals. His mom had held them as well. A little voice in the back of his mind brought forth more people. The Hokage believed in them. Even his old academy instructor Iruka.

His eyes widened slightly as the impact of his thoughts hit him. The powerful ninja in this village all held Kakashi’s ideologies. Maybe, maybe he could give it a chance? Just this once, just today. If it doesn’t work, then he’ll go back to the tried and true method of doing it yourself. Afterall, he needed all the strength he can get.

All this was pondered upon in the fading moonlight. All this was thought before Sasuke’s feet left his compound. All this was whirling around in his mind as he left the ghosts of his family behind.

It was an uneventful walk to the training ground. He wasn’t the first one there, Sakura was stretching into her academy stances. He crossed the lapping creek and tamped the grass as he made his way to the center of their clearing. He said nothing and slid into his usual Uchiha stance.

The worked in an amiable silence, only the huffs of their breaths and the slide of their feet broke their stillness. Just as the sun crested below the trees, Sasuke was struck by an idea. He was trying to be nice today after all, might as well get some training in while doing it.

“Hey, Sakura,” He spoke softly, straightening from his stance and facing her.

She paused, eyes wide and obviously surprised, “Wh-what is it, Sasuke-kun?”

“I have a new kata,” he said, “It requires two people.”

“Wha-?” she started, scrunching her brows before she let out a soft ‘oh’ in realization, “Sure, Sasuke-kun. I’ll help you.”

His eye ticked when she said help, but he folded into his new stance anyway. It was harder to keep his balance in the new form. It was meant for those who had already unlocked their sharingan, but he might as well get practice at it before then. His feet were closer together and his arms at odd angles. Sakura readied herself in the customary academy stance, feet wide and arms blocking the face. 

“All you have to do is reverse punch,” he spoke.

When she nodded and flicked her right arm towards his chest, he jumped to the left, gently grabbing her forearm. He willed himself to remember the texts he had read. This was when you had to visualize the Uchiha fire in your chest.

He had already practiced on trees, getting his wild burning down to mild discomfort. He was so focused on his visualization he almost failed to realize Sakura swinging towards her left, aiming her elbow at his face. When he ducked, he lost balance from the new stance and landed on his rear.

He was instantly thrown back into his mind. The last time this had happened he was hurt. The last time was the same way.

“No, father!” his little voice rang.

Fire burned all around him. His chest was burning. His father stared coldly down from above. He was in the fire, he was surrounded. He would never match Itachi, he had this finished before he even went to the academy. Sasuke just couldn’t do it. Sasuke was always lesser than his brother. Sasuke had no one to understand him. Everyone only knew him as Itachi’s little brother. Not Sasuke. Never Sasuke.

Then his back hit the ground and he snapped back to reality.

“Sasuke-kun!” Sakura shrilled, “Are you okay?”

He stood clumsily, swiping at the dust on his shorts and snapped, “I’m fine.”

Upon seeing her face crumble softly, he took in a breath. He shook off the memories of the inconsequential past and calmed, “I’m fine, Sakura.” He spoke gently this time. He didn’t want to remember that day. It was one of his father’s worst.

She nodded her head but still furrowed her eyes, glancing at him like he might drop at any time.

It didn’t help that his arms kept shaking. It didn’t help that he kept closing his eyes and breathing deeply. It didn’t help that when he saw his arm, all he could see were the burns his father had given him and the burns his mother had healed.  


* * *

Sakura knew something was different with Sasuke. He was too quiet today. Of course, the boy was normally quite stoic, but he was very different now. He was almost meek in demeanor, never speaking unless absolutely necessary, but it was gentle. His voice never used to be gentle. It reminded Sakura of her mom, usually after an argument with her dad. No. Change the thought.

Distraction came in the form of a too skinny, too proud, loud-mouth blond. Team 10 had joined them for morning practice. For once in her life, Sakura was actually glad to see her rival. She proved to be a very nice distraction.

But now, she frowned, it was just Team 7 alone. They were walking through the village, heading towards the tower to get another D-Rank. Today they would complete their tenth mission. Sakura would normally be proud of this accomplishment, but now she was worried.

She fell back from the boys, slowing her pace until she caught up to her sensei. His hands were in his pockets, and she could her a faint jingle. It looked like he was focused on the boys. When she fell in step with him, he cocked his head and glanced at her.

“Maa,” he spoke, “What’s the matter, Sakura?”

She peeked at the ground before replying, “I think something is wrong with Sasuke-kun, sensei.”

“There’s nothing wrong with him,” he spoke softly, eye trained on the figures of Naruto and Sasuke, “It’s just been a long time since he’s had people to rely on, Sakura.”

“What do I do sensei?” she said, frowning deeper.

He took a long time to respond, it was so quiet she almost missed it, “Be there for him.”

She nodded her acceptance and slowly sped up to meet the boys. She could do that. She could be there for Sasuke. She breathed in deeply and stepped between the boys. They walked on his silence for a few seconds before Naruto began a tale of how he had so totally mastered this crazy chakra technique Kakashi had been teaching him.

She snorted, “Naruto. The leaf exercise is taught to second year academy students. He’s only teaching it to you because you need to fix your control, not because you’re totally awesome.”

“Sakura-chan!” Naruto pouted.

He was about to carry on pouting when Kakashi came up behind them, “Maa, maa, Naruto. But you’re improving so much.” At this declaration, the boy instantly cheered.

“I’ve got a proposition,” the copy-nin spoke sweetly. All three genin straightened their backs, when Kakashi spoke like this, nothing good came of it, “If you can complete this mission tied like the tree exercise-”

Naruto and Sakura interrupted, “No way! We can’t do that again!”

“Hm,” even Sasuke was protesting.

The copy-nin raised his hands in a placating gesture, crinkling is on eye, “If you take it and complete it, I’ll move you along from chakra control. You guys have been really cracking down on theory. It’s time to move along.”

Sakura was weighing her options. It was not that bad of a deal. At least they didn’t have to chase down the wretched Tora. The pro’s of moving on from walking up trees definitely outweighed the con’s, in her opinion.

She looked towards Naruto; he was frowning but resolved. So, he wanted to move on too. He had been working hard. Kakashi had made him do tree walking with clones and he barely seemed to crack the wood now. His katas were no longer wonky, either. She had made it her mission to ingrain the correct patterns in. He was vastly improved from a week ago. He was definitely ready to move on.

She then turned towards Sasuke. His hands were clenched but his eyes looked hopeful. She knows he strives for power. She knows he works hard and has nothing left afterwards but exhaustion. How could she ever hold a candle to him if he is constantly working while she’s sitting.

She nodded her head, resolved, “I’ll do it.”

Both Naruto and Sasuke agreed, making Kakashi crinkle his eye again. When they went into the tower and collected their mission, they immediately groaned. Of course, the copy-nin would have to pick an arduous mission. One in which you had to go outside the village walls and collect rare and somewhat poisonous mushrooms. Mushroom that only formed on the walls of cliffs. Of course.

However, they still diligently strapped themselves to each other’s legs and set off for the gate.

It was surprisingly fun, to bicker with Naruto about which foot goes first. To laugh at Sasuke’s deadpans to Naruto’s horrible tactics and plans. To lead both boys correctly up the cliffs. Yes, it was really fun. The most fun she’d had since Ino had been her friend. 

When she realized this, she realized she could be there for Sasuke. She could be there for Naruto. They were actually, her friends. Of course, Naruto already thought this, and maybe Sasuke didn’t. But to Sakura, to Sakura they were friends.

Kakashi’s words echoed in her when she said her goodbyes for the day, “It’s just been a long time since he’s had people to rely on, Sakura… Be there for him.” It had been a long time for her too. And maybe, maybe Naruto as well. She was resolved, she would be there for him, for both of them.

When she got home that night, she was greeted by an empty and cold house. It was as usual, spotless from her mother’s administrations. Except a small note that was taped to the kitchen table. She quietly took the note and glanced at the contents. It detailed where her mom and dad had gone for the week. She made her way up the stairs and to her room, opening her bedside table gently. There she carefully stuffed the letter in with all the rest that had previously been written.

It had been a long time since she could rely on someone. But now, now she has Team 7.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here is a slightly angsty chapter from Sasuke’s and Sakura’s POV. I think this will really help set the mood for the Wave Arc. So, Naruto and Sakura both are thankful for Team 7! Poor Sasuke’s working through his issues now. ;)
> 
> Thank you so much for sticking with the story! I apologize for the very, very late update. I’ve recently had some family problems due to the virus. Stay safe everyone! As always, feel free to leave a review.


	8. Misty Rain

A soft and low hoot resounded through the trees. The sleepy sound bounced of the bark, echoing through the clearing in which three Genin sat. Their hair was tied back, sweat trickling down their faces. The stars were finally snuffing out their last light as the children collapsed in heaps of exhaustion. A silver-headed man crinkled his eye, happy to see his Genin working together.

He swayed into the meadow. A soft twinkling rang, dampened by the pocket in which they resided. He clutched at the bells and prayed to his comrades and teacher. He needed all the support today. He was supposed to teach them how to be ninja. He was supposed to teach them that life was hard, and the only way to get through was to fight.

He couldn’t help but think that they were too young. He knew it was foolish, yes, they each have dealt with their own nightmares, taunts, and ridicules. He knew they weren’t as young as they seemed. But he still could not help it. They were his kids, his pack. He needed them strong so they could survive; this had to outweigh any hesitation due to their age.

The copy-nin was shaken from his thoughts by a boisterous greeting from Naruto, “Hey Kakashi-sensei! We just finished sparring! Isn’t that so cool? I’m totally awesome now.” The knucklehead sprung to his feet; he tried, and failed, to remove the grass stains littering his obnoxious jumpsuit.

“I thought you were totally awesome yesterday,” Kakashi replied, feinting confusion as he cocked his head.

“He thinks he’s always awesome, sensei,” Sakura helpfully piped from her seated position on the ground.

Naruto retorted hotly, “Well it’s ‘cause I am!”

The copy-nin nodded his head seriously, clapping his hands in a gesture for his minions to gather around. He was proud to note there was no resistance from Sakura, even though her muscles must be burning from the constant use. She had been pushing her limits for a full week now. He told himself to not push her physically today, she needed the rest.

He cleared his throat, “Today will be out of order from usual. We will strategize before breakfast and then complete our D-rank before lunch. Afterwards, we will come back here and train independently.”

Sakura scrunched her brows, “What will we strategize about, Kakashi-sensei? We already know our formations.”

“Why are only three Genin units produced a year?” Kakashi asked her, crinkling his eye when she replied correctly.

“That’s because there is a specific need for the units: Battery, Information, and Reconnaissance. If all the Genin passed, the teams would be a mix and match of skills. Only those who fit into the units pass and the rest are sent back to the academy for the reserves or to pursue a more specific field, like medicine or business,” she blushed sheepishly when both Naruto and Sasuke gave a disbelieving look, “I- I looked it up in the library. After our Genin test, I mean.”

The copy-nin smiled approvingly, “Correct. And which rookie teams are which unit?”

“Umm…” she paused, collecting her thoughts, “I suppose Ino-Shika-Cho is Information Unit as their parents work in T&I. They also are highly suited for information gathering and courier missions.”

“Correct again. Now, what about Team 7 and Team 8?” he asked.

She furrowed her brows again, taking longer to reply, “Well, Kiba and Hinata both come from really strong clans. I mean, they were basically raised to fight. But the Aburame clan is more focused towards reconnaissance. And not to mention, Kiba has really strong scent receptors and Hinata has the Byakugan. So, they fit really well into the Reconnaissance Unit. That leaves us to be… Battery Unit.” She finished softly.

“Isn’t that a good thing? We get to beat up all the bad guys and save the princesses!” Naruto blurted, unable to hide his glee.

Kakashi nodded solemnly, “While that’s true. It also means we get to be on more dangerous missions earlier on than those of Team 8 and 10. When we start C-Ranks they will most likely be protection. Asuma’s team will do courier missions, and Kurenai’s tracking.”

When Naruto gave a slightly glazed look, Sakura finished, “It means we will probably have to fight on a C-Rank. It means we have to strategize our attacks, Naruto.”

“But we already have attacks. I have my super awesome shadow clones!” He scrunched his face real tight, obviously confused.

Kakashi sighed, “Naruto, you’re going to need more than shadow clones. You have to use Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, maybe even Genjutsu.”

“But I already have Transformation and Body Flicker,” he pouted.

The Jonin crinkled his eye, “Yes, but what if I said I’ll teach you more than those basic academy jutsu today.”

At this Naruto and Sasuke perked while Sakura responded, “How will you do that, sensei?”

He didn’t deign them a reply. Instead, he reached inside his kunai pouch and withdrew four slips of chakra paper. He held them up like playing cards and asked, “Anyone know what these are?”

As predicted, Naruto knew nothing but both Sakura and Sasuke nodded. The Jonin gestured to the Uchiha to speak.

“Chakra paper,” he huffed, annoyed at the trivial question.

Kakashi cocked a brow, “And what does chakra paper do?”

“It tells you what your natural chakra affinity is,” Sakura answered. She paused and glanced at Naruto, “It tells you which nature element comes more naturally.”

Naruto nodded, “Yeah, yeah like Water Style and Fire Style and stuff.”

“Correct,” Kakashi praised, happy to see the huge grin Naruto produced. He gave each Genin a slip before proceeding, “If you have earth the paper will crumble into dust, fire it will burn away, water it will soak itself, lightning it will crinkle, and wind will split it in half. All you have to do is send a tiny amount of chakra towards the paper.”

He demonstrated as his paper crinkled in his fingers. His three proteges quickly followed suit. Sakura’s paper crumbled away as Naruto’s split in his hand. Sasuke however, had a very interesting slip. His paper first crinkled and then proceeded to burst into flames.

When the raven looked up quizzically, Kakashi spoke, “Interesting. That means your natural element is lightning and then a second one for fire, Sasuke. I think that because you’ve been working with fire since you were very little, it has caused you to develop another affinity. Most Uchiha had two if fire was not their first.”

The boy nodded in acceptance.

“Now we’ve got the elements situated, I’ll explain how this group should perform,” he began as he studied each Genin seriously, “Sakura, since you have the least amount of chakra but the most amount of control, you will only perform simple Earth Style Ninjutsu. However, don’t let this get you down. Ninjutsu will not be your focus. I think your sharp mind and perfect control sets you up for Genjutsu as a main concentration, and your brutal strength will make Taijutsu your background.”

He smiled fondly as Naruto gave a shudder, “Naruto, your endless energy makes Taijutsu a perfect focus for you. I also think it would be wise to make Ninjutsu your background because of your chakra reserves.”

When Naruto smiled in approval, Kakashi turned his attention on his final Genin, “Sasuke, since you have two elements, it makes sense to concentrate on Ninjutsu. You have a very healthy amount of chakra, so I don’t think it is a problem. You will, of course, be versed in your Uchiha Style Taijutsu, but that will not be your background. The sharingan is very renowned for its Genjutsu. I think it would suit your second focus perfectly.”

All three Genin hummed and nodded, the copy-nin carried on, “If you have any questions or want to refute, feel free. This team needs to be balanced. As it is, the balance is almost perfect. With time and dedication this team can be deadly.”

When no one questioned his suggestions, he carried on. He plucked three scrolls from his pouch and placed them at the feet of his minions. He crouched by Sakura and whirled the scroll open. Seven different scrolls popped out of the empty container scroll before Sakura’s sandaled feet.

He spoke up, “Sakura, there is a scroll on Earth Release: Rock Throw Technique, as well as a scroll for Leaf Illusion: Four Unfamiliars. We will start working on these after our mission today. I expect you to have the Earth Style down before the night is over.”

Sakura gulped, “Maa, maa. Don’t look so upset, it’s only an E-rank,” he crinkled his eye, “Your chakra control will make it easy. The white scroll contains books for history of all great five nations, including their historical techniques. The tan one has books for geography for all the nations and contains information on medicinal and edible plants and animals. In all, I think there are over 20 books in each scroll.”

“When should I read those, sensei?” she asked, surprised by the volume of her readings.

The copy-nin chuckled, “When you’re at home or taking a physical break. You shouldn’t focus too much on them.” When she hummed in agreement he continued, “There are also three scrolls on taijutsu, I want you to look them over and decide which you would like to focus on.”

Once finished he turned towards his sulkiest Genin. Sasuke’s container scroll popped out three technique scrolls and a heavy book.

“Here you have Fire Release Theory: One and Fire Release: Fire Flower Technique. Now, don’t look at me like that Sasuke. Yes, it’s a D-rank jutsu, but the theory will help you mold your fire and eventually you can change the techniques or even make your own if you study enough theory. That’s what your goal is for Fire Flower. I want you to have the jutsu down in its original state, and then use the theory to modify some part of it.”

The boy hummed as if disinterested, but Kakashi could see the small smirk upon his face, “You also have an E-rank Lightning Release: Flickering Light Technique. It’s so low rank since you’ve never worked on lightning before. It’s one of the most volatile. It would be extremely risky and unnecessary to start you with a higher lightning jutsu.”

“What’s the book for then,” the Uchiha frowned.

“That,” Kakashi started, “Is a book on the theory and technique of Genjutsu in all elemental nations. It goes into plenty detail about Uchiha Genjutsu. It’s exceptionally rare.”

Sasuke looked surprised for a second, before he schooled his features and hummed in acknowledgment. With a final gaze at the boy, the copy-nin turned to his orange clad ninja. Naruto’s container scroll held four technique scrolls and light green, but very tattered, scroll.

“You have two scrolls on Wind Style, for attack and defense. There’s Wind Release: Gale Surge Technique and Wind Release: Wind Explosion Technique. I also gave you Water Style, Naruto. I know your natural affinity is wind, but I’m positive your chakra reserves can handle a little extra strain for water.”

“You got that right sensei!” Naruto exclaimed, bouncing up and down and pointing dramatically at his small pile of scrolls, “I bet they're kick ass jutsu!”

The Jonin smiled, “I’m sure you’ll make them badass, Naruto. I gave you Water Release: Water Pellet Technique and Water Release: Water Mirror Technique. Now, don’t get confused Naruto. Ninjutsu is your backup. You will mainly rely on Taijutsu.”

The knucklehead frowned, “But, sensei, my academy taijutsu isn’t the best. I think Mizuki-sen… I mean, Mizuki, messed up my stances. Sakura-chan’s been helping me improve them.”

“That’s great to hear Naruto,” he started, “But I have a Taijutsu scroll for you. It’s a very old style, but that can work to your advantage. No one will be expecting it, just like you, hm?”

“Yeah, yeah! Just like me! I’m the number one most unpredictable ninja!” he shouted.

Kakashi continued, “It’s called Open-Hand Style. It’s supposed to disable an opponent. It isn’t meant for killing and mindless attacks. It’s methodical and-”

“-I get it!” Naruto interrupted, “It’s totally awesome, just like me!”

Sakura piped, “Naruto! You didn’t let sensei finish! What if it was important?”

“Maa, maa. It’s alright Sakura. It’s about time we finished up our discussion anyway,” the copy-nin said smoothly, glancing at the sun that had just peaked over the treetops.

He bent down and packed up the container scrolls again, stuffing them in his pouch as he went, “Why don’t you three eat breakfast. We’ll meet at the Hokage’s Tower in an hour and a half for duty.”

“Yatta! Ramen! C’mon Sakura-chan, Sasuke, we can eat at Ichiraku’s for breakfast today!” Naruto proclaimed, happily marching his way around the other two Genin.

“Naruto,” Sakura sighed, “Ramen isn’t a healthy breakfast. You need to make sure you have the appropriate amount of vitamins and nutr-”

Kakashi tuned his kunoichi out, after all, he wasn’t the one who needed to be lectured on an appropriate breakfast. Nope. He had all his nutrients for his morning already. It was packed inside a grainy, stale, and oddly shaped ration bar.  


* * *

The bright afternoon sun beat down on the necks of the team below. The pink kunoichi stood beside a small pile of rocks. Her hands were clamped in a snake sign, a bead of sweat pooled on her temple and trickled down her cheek. She huffed out and slid her left foot back, breaking her seal and ejecting her arms out in front of her as if pushing a heavy object.

“Earth Release: Rock Throw,” she barked, not once wavering her arms from their rigid lock. She bent her knees, placing both palms on the ground beneath her.

A rock the size of her fist shot two feet in the air, it hovered for two seconds before shooting of towards a nearby tree. It flew straight into the center of the tree, marring the already severely chipped bark.

Her arms trembled slightly as she controlled her flaring chakra, a small smile gracing her lips. She let out a shaky breath and withdrew her palms from the ground so she could massage her tender forearms.

“That was well done Sakura,” Kakashi spoke, “You almost have it at an acceptable place for combat. You just need to work on switching over from raising the rock up and pushing the rock forward. I would say I’m surprised, but this is a fairly easy Ninjutsu in the fact that it uses so little chakra. Your perfect chakra control only helps aid you in that. I’m proud.”

Unwelcome tears instantly burned in the back of her eyes. Proud? When was the last time she heard someone was proud of her? Here she was, matted in dirt and sweat, barely able to lift up a rock and throw it with chakra. She knew her mother would never approve. But, but to this team, to Kakashi-sensei, she knew it matters. She had worked hard, and he had realized.

She gave a watery smile, “Thank you, sensei.”

“Hmm,” he just hummed, cocking his head quizzically. Thankfully, he didn’t ask her why she was emotional, “Let’s take a break for now. You’ve done enough work on Earth Style today. You can relax until the boys have finished up their jutsu, then I’ll get you started on the Leaf Illusions.”

When Sakura nodded, he formed the rat sign and dispelled himself. She watched the smoke of the shadow clone disappear in the warm air before plopping on the grass in a very un-ladylike manner. She turned her head, staring at her crush through lidded eyes. She hadn’t had a chance to really gaze at him recently, might as well take the opportunity.

He was currently sitting cross-legged on the grass, hands smashed tightly into a snake sign. His skin kept giving off an eerie glow. Sometimes it would last for a few seconds before fading, and sometimes it would burn so bright Sakura had to squint her eyes even more.

She saw him converse with another Kakashi clone before he shook his head, stood up, and promptly ran through the signs for his Fire Style technique. She was awed to see five bursts of flames shoot from his mouth. Two fizzled out but the other three curved and arched before slamming into a nearby tree. The bark flaked away, blackened slightly from the charr.

She just couldn’t help the praise that bubbled through her mouth, “That was great, Sasuke-kun!”

Sasuke turned towards her, eyebrows furrowed slightly. He opened his mouth to reply but an obnoxious, and very Naruto, voice beat him to it, “Hah! Just wait Sakura-chan. You haven’t seen my awesome Water Style yet!”

She whipped around, ready to reply just how much Sasuke was better than him, but she clamped her mouth shut to prevent giggles from arising. Naruto was covered in moss and sopping wet. His bright orange jumpsuit clashed horribly with the brown and green moss.

Naruto quickly signed dog and yelled, “Water Style: Water Pellet!” The whole creek seemed to come out of Naruto’s mouth, aiming higher and higher. It arched gracefully back towards the ground. Yes, it was a very beautiful sight. Until it all landed right on Sakura’s face.

Naruto’s cackle and Sakura’s rage resounded. 

* * *

His lungs were burning, but he couldn’t stop. His skin was cold and his clothes restricting, but he couldn’t stop. The men had to be right behind him. He had to keep swimming, keep his head down. He didn’t dare bob above the water. He knew he had big lungs from many breath competitions as a child. He prayed and prayed he could last now.

His vision turned spotty and black. No. No, I have to make it. He pushed harder; lungs starved. He sucked in a small shallow breath, salty water scorching his throat. Damn it. He kicked upwards, breaking through the surface and oh so thankful for the heavy mist around. He hacked and coughed the water from his lungs, never stopping his momentum forwards. He had to get away, they were going to kill him.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he reached wet and mossy ground. He carefully perched himself on the rocks, heaving his body out of the water. Finally, the Land of Fire. He was safer here, Gatto would never send his men for fear of Konoha. Gods, but that wouldn’t stop him from hurting my family. No, it was not safer here. He had to move, keep going.

He pulled himself to his feet, staggering to the shelter of the trees. His clothes clung coldly. He wouldn’t make it on time, but he had to try. Four days, he has four days of travel to Konoha.

When the rain picked up, he lifted his face towards the weeping sky, drinking in the misty rain. Tazuna couldn’t help but dream of it as cold, cold sake.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed! Here comes Tazuna, oh boy! We’ll have fun with the good old wave arc, don’t you worry ;). Just to give a heads up, because I might get some questions on it, Naruto will probably learn more jutsu than Sasuke. Sasuke has Ninjutsu as his primary focus because later on he will be more proficient at changing the jutsu and creating his own (hint, hint). Naruto will know and use more because of his amazing reserves, but Taijutsu will be his main focus in fights. I’ll go ahead and explain the jutsu I’m having them use (basing it off of various Wikipedia articles). 
> 
> Earth Release: Rock Throw Technique (E-Rank)  
> A small rock can be lifted and thrown using chakra.
> 
> Leaf Illusion: Four Unfamiliars (E-Rank)  
> This scroll contains four different illusions  
> Mark of Unfamiliar: Changes a person’s writing. This can cause misread directions or pathways.  
> Through the Unfamiliar: When affected, the person has a severe sense of déjà vu.  
> Sounding the Unfamiliar: Makes an opponent imagine sounds, any sound the caster chose.  
> Touch of the Unfamiliar: Makes an opponent not feel a certain object (like embedded kunai) or feel fake objects (like wind rustling).  
> These four Unfamiliars can be combined together to make a deadly combination.
> 
> Wind Release: Gale Surge Technique (D-Rank)  
> Caster disturbs the air around them to release a large burst of air, best use for defense.
> 
> Wind Release: Wind Explosion Technique (D-Rank)  
> Wind gathered with chakra into a loose, swirling ball than can be thrown at opponents to cut.
> 
> Water Release: Water Mirror Technique (E-Rank)  
> Caster can turn any small body of water into a reflective surface.
> 
> Water Release: Water Pellet Technique (D-Rank)  
> Caster releases streams, or bullets, of water at a high speed through the mouth.
> 
> Lightning Release: Flickering Light Technique (E-Rank)  
> Caster makes their skin light up in various degrees of brightness and length. Useful for code or for temporarily blinding an opponent if used at night.
> 
> Fire Release: Fire Flower Technique (D-Rank)  
> Caster sends multiple bursts of fire from the mouth. Can be useful to hide shuriken inside of flames.
> 
> Fire Release Theory: One (E-Rank)  
> Caster uses any seal to mold and form chakra into the tips of one or two fingers. Can be used to cut rope or melt low-tolerant objects. Can be used to modify low-ranking jutsu to mold and modify the flame in terms of heat or shape.
> 
> If you have any comments or questions, feel free to leave a review!  
> \--------------------------------------------------------  
> I'm currently pretty burned out of Naruto. This by no means is me abandoning this fic. I have already flushed out the plot and have even roughed out the sequel for this series. I have worked tirelessly on this fic behind the scenes, and on top of my college work and COVID-19 family issues, I have to put this series on a hiatus. I will be working on another fic that's not in the Naruto universe. This is hopefully going to help me with my Naruto writers block and help me get into a fresh mindset. Thank you for understanding! Hope you guys are all staying safe!


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